UAE Enforces Strict Security Measures; Expulsion Over a Single Bottle of Pepsi
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency via Arabi 21, UAE authorities have deported several Palestinians for showing solidarity with Gaza during the recent conflict. A Palestinian engineer known as “S.M.,” who had worked in Abu Dhabi’s communications and technology sector for over two decades, was expelled from the country.
this engineer was expelled after refusing to drink a bottle of Pepsi at his workplace and stating that the product is subject to sanctions.
Following an inquiry summons that lasted several days, he was forced to sell his assets and leave the UAE with his family, relocating to Jordan.
The source also confirmed that a Palestinian woman in Dubai previously received a 48-hour eviction notice after posting an obituary for a relative who had been martyred in Gaza-a journalist affiliated with her family.
In another case, a Palestinian woman returning from Gaza underwent prolonged interrogation in Dubai. Her phone was searched, and her conversations on WhatsApp and Telegram where scrutinized. She was then warned against publishing or sharing any content expressing solidarity with Gaza-even through private messaging apps.
Some sources told Arabi 21 that Palestinians face tight security monitoring across the UAE.Their slightest movement or political stance is closely watched, and any expression of sympathy toward Gaza is strictly banned. Carrying any Palestinian symbol-from maps to flags-is forbidden. Even displaying maps or flags inside homes is prohibited; failure to comply results in immediate expulsion from the country.
Arabi 21 reported that Palestinians and other Arab nationals complain about heightened security surveillance in the UAE-especially since Abu Dhabi normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
A businessman based in dubai said: “Worry and fear are constant companions here. We live under continuous threat of deportation or prosecution. In an instant, years of work can be undone by a single security report.”
The businessman added that due to this intense monitoring, he plans to transfer millions of dollars invested within the Emirates out to another country.
