PNN – Arab residents in the United Arab Emirates, particularly Palestinians, have reported being under strict security surveillance and living in constant fear of deportation for even minor expressions of support for Gaza.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing Arabi21, Emirati authorities have expelled several Palestinians for showing solidarity with Gaza during the recent war. One Palestinian engineer, identified as “S.M.,” who had worked for over 20 years in the communications and technology sector in Abu Dhabi, was among those deported.
Palestinian and other Arab residents in the UAE say they face intense security surveillance and live in constant fear of deportation for even the smallest expressions of support for Gaza.
A Palestinian engineer in the United Arab Emirates was reportedly dismissed from his job after refusing to drink a bottle of Pepsi at work, saying the product was among those he personally boycotted.
According to Arabi21, after being summoned for questioning over several days, the engineer—who had lived and worked in Abu Dhabi for more than two decades—was forced to sell his belongings and leave the UAE with his family for Jordan.
The outlet also reported that a Palestinian woman in Dubai was given a 48-hour notice to leave the country after posting an obituary for a relative, a journalist killed in Gaza.
In another incident, a Palestinian woman returning from Gaza was subjected to a lengthy interrogation in Dubai. Her phone was searched, and authorities reviewed her WhatsApp and Telegram conversations before warning her not to post or share any content showing solidarity with Gaza, even in private messages.
Sources told Arabi21 that Palestinians in the UAE are under strict security monitoring, and even minor actions or expressions of sympathy toward Gaza are prohibited. Carrying or displaying any Palestinian symbols, such as maps or flags, is banned — reportedly even inside private homes, with violators facing possible expulsion.
Arabi21 added that Palestinians and other Arab nationals say surveillance in the UAE has intensified since the country’s 2020 normalization deal with Israel.
A Dubai-based businessman said fear and anxiety are constant among Arab residents: “At any moment, a single security report could destroy everything you’ve built for years.” He added that he is now transferring millions of dollars in investments out of the UAE due to the heightened monitoring.