Social media influencers in Dubai have been hitting back at each other over their views as Iranian drones continue to target the United Arab Emirates city
Social media influencers in Dubai have begun warring with each other over their views, as drones continue to hit the city.
Tens of thousands of Brits have left the UAE since the start of the US-Iran conflict two weeks ago, but many more have stayed, causing disagreements on whether it is safe. It comes amid claims some influencers there are being paid to pump out “propaganda” on behalf of the UAE’s leader Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
There have also been reports of at least 45 people having been arrested by police in Abu Dhabi for “spreading misinformation and filming and sharing event locations” over alleged footage showing attacks.
READ MORE: 6 ways Iran war will cost Brits as UK households are hit in the pocket
Among those taking aim at those who fled is Mitchell Armstrong, who claims those who stayed have “either profited off the war or made more money” because they “were more locked in”. Denouncing those who have left, Mr Armstrong claims “nothing has changed for him”, while insisting his daily routine of going to a sauna and steam room and enjoying his ‘$2.1million’ apartment has continued unabated.
In a video posted to his 31,100 followers on TikTok, he mocked evacuees, telling them: “Like nothing has changed for me. While you guys were all running around acting like brokies, ‘oh my god, there’s bombs, oh my god, let’s get out of Dubai’, all the rich guys, all the guys making money, printing bread either profited off the war or made more money because we are more locked in.”
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence has said they have so far intercepted 285 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,567 drones from Iran, but Mr Armstrong is apparently unconcerned. Panning to the view of Dubai from his balcony, he said: “Like, look at this, nothing changed, nothing changed. People running around like headless chickens, like the world is ending, and now four days in a row, we have had nothing in Dubai. No bombs, no crackles, no nothing, no missile interceptions.”
Claiming “all the guys that fled are trying to come back to Dubai”, Mr Armstrong said: “All my boys have been messaging me today, ‘oh we are thinking of coming back this week’.” Laughing, he plunged his head back into a pool and repeated: “Why did you leave then? Why did you leave?”
Fellow influencer ‘Soudi of Arabia’ has also shared her thoughts online about the “very ungrateful” who have fled. In a video, which now has over 62,000 views, she said: “As you can see, it is very quiet and peaceful in Dubai at the moment, but for those people who want to leave, let them leave. I just think they are very ungrateful.
“Less traffic and less scammers, please. The best era for Dubai was 2015, so let’s bring that back – if you know, you know. I seriously don’t think people’s home countries are any better. They have no idea what they are going back to.”
Soudi did admit it was “very quiet” and “everyone had a little PTSD from the overhead noises”, but went on to describe the conflict, which has led to explosions at Dubai’s airports and the city’s financial centre, as a “speed hump”. She continued: “And I still feel very grateful that I live in one of the safest countries in the world.
“Like, there is quite literally nowhere else I would rather be right now. At this point, the only thing I am really worried about is the holidays I have booked. Do I go or do I stay?”.
Soudi added: “All of the OGs that have been in Dubai for longer than ten years or more are all staying. It’s literally the people who have just moved out here that are leaving. And honestly, they are the types of people that I don’t mind leaving, let’s be honest here. But I am sorry somebody had to say it.”
Hitting out at those who had returned once again, she said: “Why are some people coming back from Dubai acting like they actually fought in the war? Guys, are you in the same Dubai right now? Are you coming back from the same Dubai, because I have no idea what these people are on about. They are acting like they just got off a plane from the front line. I am sorry, do you guys see anything that is going on. I don’t think so.”
On Thursday, a British charter jet firm told how they have organised more than 70 evacuation flights from the Middle East since the start of the US-Iran war – with more due to leave in the coming days. Air Charter Service has been at the forefront of the rescue effort since the conflict began 13 days ago. It has led to more than 168,000 Brits registering their presence in the Middle East with the Foreign Office, which has set up a crisis centre. The vast majority are based in the UAE.
Chairman Chris Leach said: “At first most of our charter flights were for people who just wanted to get out of the immediate vicinity as quickly as possible by private jet. With Omani and Saudi airspace having remained open since the hostilities began, we identified Muscat and Riyadh to be the best airports for evacuations early on in the crisis. Oman was more popular initially, due to the visa requirements of Saudi and the extra distance to the border crossing. We stationed one of our Dubai team at Muscat airport, in order to oversee our charters and make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible.
“In the first few days we arranged more than 20 private jets from Muscat – the most popular destination being Istanbul, a big international hub, from where people could easily get connections home. As the crisis developed, the focus has shifted to larger aircraft, with groups travelling out of the region, predominantly for multinational corporations and governments.”
The war has caused what experts are describing as the largest consular crisis since the Covid pandemic. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said officials are working around the clock to help stranded Brits. Families have been escaping the conflict on private jets, as well as evacuation flights organised by the UK government. They have included tycoon Samuel Leeds, who provoked fury by chartering a £150,000 private jet to get him out of war-torn UAE before telling followers: “I don’t know why everyone is not doing this.”
The dad-of-four, originally from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, drove three hours to Oman before flying home from Muscat Airport. Other families to have escaped include Mark and Zoe Ruffels, who were in a group of 11 with their grown-up children Harrisen, 22, and Freya, 20, and their pals Grainne and James Pryor. Grainne, 55, told the Mirror: “Staying indoors all the time was like the Covid lockdown all over again…but with missiles.”
Her husband James, 57, added: “It was scary seeing the missiles in the sky. One of the children, Freya, was the first to spot them. We’d had a wonderful week in Dubai but then you think, ‘What’s happening to us?’.”
