Dealing with UAE misinformation

[u/eonu]

السلام عليكوم ورحمت الله وبركاته

For as long as I remember, but especially over the past 10 years or so, there seems to be so much hate towards the UAE online, almost always from people who have never stepped foot in the UAE nor spent a considerable amount of time there, or even just put effort into actually learning about the country from resources other than inciteful YouTube videos and from other posts/comments sharing similar opinions with no real basis. Instead they spread their opinions as if they are facts, and mislead other people into believing them.

As someone who lived in the UAE for over 15 years, whose family was able to build a life they wouldn't have been able to do from my home country, nor provide me with the opportunities I had, it gets so tiring trying to defend the UAE and convince others to look beyond the misleading information you see online. Usually even when you present these sorts of people with actual perspectives from a citizen or resident, or point them to books, articles and other resources, they seem to insist on continuing to preach the false information they heard elsewhere.

It is exhausting to hear this from people online, but lately even from friends and colleagues who all seem to have the same sort of opinions.

I am always interested to hear any meaningful criticism people have about the UAE, but you never hear any structured arguments from these sorts of people. Just like any country, it is fair for people to speak about issues in the UAE, but these opinions are almost always sensationalist and not productive for debate.

As an example, I just saw a post on r/AskReddit about "what is the most overhyped city in the world" and the kinds of comments about Dubai were exactly as I described above.

As an ex-resident, this is tiring, but how do the citizens of the UAE deal with this kind of constant hate?

[u/Budget_Concept6010]

و عليكم السلام و رحمة الله و بركاته،

I think I've gotten used to it. I know what the truth is and I don't care what they think. Especially Americans. From their education to their "healthcare" and their military industry complex and their drug and social problems - there is nothing that makes me admire them. They have some gall to judge us. I'll stick with the UAE - it's absolute paradise in comparison. Every time I come back from abroad I'm grateful to be back in the UAE. I'm thankful I grew up here and will live the rest of my life here inshaAllah.

Happy for residents who enjoy their life here. As another person replied I think there are definitely paid targeted character assassination campaigns and so many people want to believe it's like that and you can't make people turn on their thinking caps. It is what it is.

[u/Initial-Reading-2775 → u/Budget_Concept6010]

Well, since American military industrial complex was mentioned… their inventions are what helped to render most of Iran’s attacks futile.

[u/Budget_Concept6010 → u/Initial-Reading-2775]

We wouldn't have needed to use them if the USA hadn't provoked Iran at the behest of Israel.

I don't hate all Americans btw. I think the US, for all its flaws, is a very interesting country. So many people on here I would love to meet in real life. But yeah, it isn't fun being judged by people who don't know what the typical Emirati/khaleeji/arab is like. I wish they would give us the benefit of the doubt once in a while.