The actual motive why Dubai-based stars are singing its praises in the course of a warfare

Stars including Kate Ferdinand, Luisa Zissman and Laura Anderson have been sharing messages about the UAE government after being forced to shelter during Iran’s missile attacks on Dubai

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Iran’s missile and drone bombardment across the Middle East has forced numerous influencers, social media stars and celebrities to take refuge indoors as WW3 fear surge.

Residents across the UAE were told to remain indoors while celebrities including Kate Ferdinand and Luisa Zissman were compelled to seek refuge in the basements of their luxury homes. The British Embassy in Dubai is recommending against all non-essential journeys to the UAE while British citizens currently in the nation are being encouraged to register their whereabouts with authorities.

The alerts went off on Wednesday as the United Kingdom’s Embassy in the United Arab Emirates released an official advisory telling people to “shelter in place”. In a warning posted on social media the UAE told residents: “Move indoors and remain inside. Follow the instructions of the local authorities. You should stay indoors or go to the nearest safe building. Stay away from windows. An interior stairwell or a room with as few windows as possible to offer additional protection.”

Despite the UAE’s ongoing interception of missiles and drones from Iran – with the state reporting six missile and 131 drone interceptions on Wednesday – celebrities are resuming their social media activities. This week’s social media posts have shown stars such as Luisa Zissman and Arabella Chi shopping, dining out, sunbathing and carrying on as usual.

Meanwhile, other celebs like Laura Anderson and Sam Gowland have chosen to travel elsewhere despite still sharing numerous gushing messages praising the UAE government before leaving. YouTuber DMO Deejay, surrounded by his collection of luxury cars in his garage, stated in his recent YouTube video titled I’m Moving Back To UK From Dubai: “Find me one person who’s gonna talk s*** about Dubai.”

And he appears to be right, as it would be hard to find individuals criticising the city. But what’s the reason behind this? Enter the Golden Visa scheme, officially introduced in Dubai in 2019, which offers residency to investors, entrepreneurs and “specialised talents”.

Earlier this year, the UAE and Creators HQ unveiled a visa scheme specifically designed for content creators, aiming to attract and retain globally renowned content creators with large followings.

It has not been confirmed whether the celebrities and influencers that have been posting hold a Golden Visa in Dubai or if their posts are in any way connected to the UAE government. Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Richard Osman breaks down the visa arrangements.

Osman said: “Under this scheme they give you a number of different things. They give you visa, they give you like a physical creators HQ hub, which has, you know, podcast studios, offices, all those things, they will give you business and legal support, they would essentially set you up as a business.”

Osman stated content creators are being “massively incentivised” to relocate to Dubai – after the departure of numerous influencers in recent months. His co-presenter Marina Hyde said: “Extraordinarily, the city itself has become constructed in a sort of Instagram friendly way – Instagram has a headquarters there, no surprise.”

Only days after revealing plans to “hide her family in a storage cupboard” during the war Love Island’s Arabella – who relocated to Dubai last September – posted a snap of her baby son enjoying a poolside meal. This was followed by pictures of her and partner Billy Henty on a romantic date night, dining al fresco at a posh sushi restaurant in the city, reports the Mirror.

On Thursday, Apprentice star Luisa Zissman shared clips of herself walking her dog before hitting a Zara store in the city for some retail therapy. In a video uploaded to her Instagram story on Wednesday, she said: “I just want to show you guys it’s all very normal in Dubai.”

Meanwhile other celebrities have chosen a different approach, deciding to exit Dubai on the earliest luxury flight available – but not without expressing their gratitude to the UAE government for their protection. Former Love Island contestant Laura Anderson, who had arrived in the UAE with her two-year-old days prior, chose to return home five days ahead of schedule due to the missile strikes.

Sharing a glimpse from her airplane seat on Instagram, she said: “We’re on although I’m taking each stage very lightly…. The airport was quiet as expected. Calm, people were so helpful felt a bit teary.” She continued: “Praying for safe skies (as I’ve always said when someone flys) [sic] it just means more now”.

Giving insight into the atmosphere, she said: “Everyone onboard is very quiet I assume on edge a little like me. My dad’s favourite song just came on so I’m feeling government.”

Despite choosing to escape the nation ahead of schedule, Laura’s message concluded with a rather striking tribute to the UAE authorities. The star said: “Thank you to the UAE government for protecting us and continuing to protect my friends and family. I will always be proud to have been an expat.” Geordie Shore personality Sam Gowland’s farewell note to the country carried a comparable sentiment.

While sharing a snapshot from his plush flight from Dubai to Mauritius, he said: “Massive massive thanks to the UAE government for protecting us and continuing to do so absolutely incredible the job they are doing as they always are.”

It’s not merely celebrities sharing glowing tributes to the UAE’s leadership, as TikTok clips following an almost identical template show influencers lauding the city’s ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for “safeguarding” them. These videos kick off with the question: “You live in Dubai aren’t you scared?” before cutting to footage of the UAE’s Prime Minister accompanied by the declaration: “No, because I know who protects us.”

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