A TikToker exposed the dark side of living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), describing it as a “dystopian hell.” The executive director of a human rights organization has since reacted to the influencer’s now-viral video, highlighting gender violence and the danger that comes with trying to defend victims.
Taking to her TikTok page on August 5, a woman who goes by “Anna” uploaded a video showcasing a couple of photographs of her time working in Dubai.
In the slideshow, which has amassed over 620,000 views, the first picture showed Anna seemingly posing on a bridge in the Emirati city, with a text that read: “If you asked me about Dubai.”
The second photograph displayed Anna sitting at what appeared to be an Emirati traditional dinner table, with a text stating: “I’d say I hated it.”
A TikToker exposed the dark side of living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
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The slideshow then showed a snap of Anna petting a camel in the dessert, with the following caption: “Her petting a camel in the desert.”
The last picture showcased a skyscraper at night time, with a text denouncing: “I’d say it’s the worst place I’ve ever lived.”
Anna added: “I’ll never forget the image of people ordering gold-covered steaks while immigrants worked in 43C heat right outside the window.
“Walking 3 hours without seeing one piece of nature that didn’t seem fake, even the beaches and waves was artificial as some sort of dystopian hell.
“Seeing girls stopped by police for dancing, and botox adds targeting me at 24… Men walking around with 3 wifes who all looked miserable.
“Animals, women, immigrants, and everybody else except rich men are treated like objects. Literal hell.”
Anna finally wrote in the caption: “The way i’m never going back.”
The slideshow ignited divided opinions, as a TikTok user asked: “Only Westerners complain about it, best part of Dubai is its safety, can you say the same about Europe / America?”
A person commented: “It tells so much about a person when they say ‘Dubai is so amazing’.”
She described it as a “dystopian hell”
Someone else penned: “This might be the best video about Dubai I’ve ever seen.”
A viewer shared: “I live in Dubai, what Dubai are you talking about it’s literally the safest country in the world.
“I can leave my car unlocked with my bag on the roof go about my day and it’s still there hours later.”
Nevertheless, Anna replied: “Except as a woman you are adviced to never press charges if a man [sexually assaults] you, because according to their laws you can end up charged yourself for s3x outside marriage. Really safe”.
Consensual sexual relationships between adults outside of marriage are generally legal in the UAE, At Alketbi explains.
“[I’m] so glad to see more people acknowledging this about Dubai,” a netizen added. “Money can’t buy basic humanity.”
The executive director of a human rights organization has since reacted to the influencer’s now-viral video
An observer noted: “Girl [New York City] is the exact same if not even worse.”
A separate individual chimed in: “I’m usually a person who sees the positive things in life, is happy, and loves every part of it, however, being in Dubai has had a big impact on my mental health, making me overthink everything, people here don’t seem empathetic, it feels like i’m surrounded by robots.”
Dubai has gained notoriety as a controversial city due to its history of human rights violations, including labor exploitation of migrant workers, who often face poor living conditions and low wages, as well as strict laws limiting freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
Despite these issues, it remains a popular destination for tourists and expatriates, drawn by its luxury lifestyle, modern architecture, and tax-free environment. The city’s global appeal continues to grow, even as criticisms of its human rights record persist.
“The UAE ranks among the worst countries in term of human rights,” Khalid Ibrahim, Executive Director for Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GC4HR), told Bored Panda in an email.
Khalid further shared: “There is [not] even one single human rights defender. The last one was my colleague, member of the GCHR Board, Ahmed Mansoor, who was detained since 20 March 2017, sentenced to 10 years in prison, and placed in solitary confinement until now.”
The human rights advocate concluded: “I agree about what [Anna] said in term of massive human rights violations, including women’s rights.”
The human rights advocate highlighted gender violence and the danger that comes with trying to defend victims
In the UAE, victims of rape risk being charged with “illicit sex,” which can lead to imprisonment or flogging, as seen in the 2010 case of an Emirati woman sentenced to jail after reporting her gang rape, as per the United Nations’ PeaceWomen.
Despite some legal reforms, Emirati laws still discriminate against women, particularly in areas like personal status and domestic violence, leaving many without adequate legal protection or recourse, Human Rights Watch stated in 2021.
In a more recent gender-biased case, United Arab Emirates flight attendant Tori Towey, from Ireland, was detained in Dubai after being charged with attempting to end her life amid ongoing domestic abuse.
After being hospitalized with extensive injuries following an alleged assault by Tori’s husband, her passport was reportedly destroyed, and a travel ban had been imposed on her.
Anna’s TikTok video continued to spark various reactions
