Dubai Sets Its Sights on Australia as Propaganda Push Reaches National Airwaves
29 May 2025 – Sydney, Australia
This week, Channel Nine’s Today Show has been broadcasting live from Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm. The series of segments is widely viewed as part of a broader UAE-led image campaign targeting Australian audiences. The program featured luxury lifestyle coverage, interviews with local representatives, and tourism promotions, all framed in an overwhelmingly positive light:
@thetodayshow Sarah, Jayne, and Dickie immersed themselves in Dubai’s rich culture and traditions during their visit to the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. #9Today #dubai ♬ original sound - The Today Show
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and founder of Due Process International has been assisting Australian citizens facing injustice and human rights abuses in the UAE for almost two decades. She persuaded Parliament to include provisions for human rights risks into the UAE-Australia Extradition Treaty when it was executed.
Stirling says the broadcasts reflect a growing trend of state-curated messaging aimed at Western audiences, where media and influencer platforms are used to promote Dubai while omitting crucial facts about the country’s legal system and human rights record.
“Dubai has clearly set its sights on Australia. We are seeing the UAE’s messaging appear in travel campaigns, property expos, and now mainstream television with little to no critical context,” Stirling said. “Segments like these are carefully orchestrated and approved at the government level. What viewers are seeing is not journalism, it is scripted public relations.”
In one segment aired this week, Today Show host Jayne Azzopardi asked whether men and women are treated equally in the UAE. The guest replied, “Women are quite lucky,” a comment Stirling says obscures the realities faced by many women in the country.
“The statement that women are ‘lucky’ in the UAE is more accurate than intended because any fair or respectful treatment is indeed a matter of luck,” Stirling explained. “The legal system still allows male guardianship, and women reporting assault or seeking custody of their children are often disadvantaged by default.”
Stirling also rejected claims made during the segment that people in the UAE enjoy freedom of speech. “To suggest there is free speech in the UAE is laughable,” she said. “Criticising the government, its leaders, or even its weather can land you in prison. Social media posts, negative hotel reviews, and discussing high-profile cases like Princess Latifa have all resulted in arrests. The entire Today segment itself would have required prior government approval. This is not a country where open debate is allowed, it’s one of the most tightly controlled media environments in the world.”
She warns that the image of Dubai as a modern, safe destination belies the risks tourists can face. Detained in Dubai has handled numerous cases involving Australians who have been detained or criminally prosecuted over minor infractions including social media posts, bounced cheques, or allegations arising from misunderstandings. Australian victims of rape, druggings and sexual assault have had to flee the UAE in fear of their lives and freedom.
Australian businessmen have been targeted for their assets, businesses and wealth and thrown in jail so they can be looted by influential and state actors.
“We have seen Australians jailed for offences that would not be crimes at all back home. Reporting a crime can lead to charges against the victim, and there is very little legal recourse once someone is caught in the system. A mere allegation is sufficient to have someone prosecuted and imprisoned and so it’s not simply a case of following the law. Anyone, however innocent, can land in jail”.
Dubai’s media strategy has extended to investment expos across Australia, including recent property showcases in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, with upcoming events all over the country. These expos are marketed as opportunities for high-yield investments and long-term residency pathways such as the UAE Golden Visa.
“There is serious money being invested into rebranding Dubai globally and Australia has become a priority market,” Stirling said. “That includes property roadshows, media sponsorships, and direct relationships with influencers and media producers. Foreign investors have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to Dubai’s property promises only to be duped by government owned property developers”.
“Australian citizens deserve clear, balanced information, not promotional content repackaged as news. Without it, they are left unaware of the risks and too often we see people fall into dangerous legal situations they never anticipated.”
