Saudi social media campaign calls for boycott of Emirati tourism

Saudi social media accounts have launched a campaign calling for a boycott of the United Arab Emirates, with the hashtag #BoycottUAETourism trending on the X platform.

Thousands of users have shared documents, video footage, AI-generated images and condemnatory messages accusing the Gulf state of using tourism revenues to indirectly destabilise neighbouring countries and to support alleged war crimes.

The campaign, which has trended in both Arabic and English, calls for a boycott of travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as a broader boycott of Emirati products.

Users taking part in the campaign have described the boycott as a "national and moral duty". Accounts using the hashtag range from apparently private individuals to Saudi influencers with large followings, as well as some media figures.

The campaign comes amid a deepening rift between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over the conflict in Yemen, following a military operation launched in December last year by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council to seize large areas of eastern Yemen.

Over the past week, Saudi-backed Yemeni government officials have accused the UAE of running secret detention facilities at an airbase near Mukalla.

The boycott has also received backing from users in Sudan, including local outlet Sudan Trend, which shared an image of UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed while urging followers to join the campaign.

The UAE has for years been accused of backing Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, which has been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023 and is accused of committing war crimes.

شاركوا الهاشتاق
وايضا قاطعوا منتجات الإمارات #قاطعوا_السياحة_في_الإمارات pic.twitter.com/EMwa1tzTog

— Sudan Trend 🇸🇩 (@SudanTrends) January 21, 2026

Thousands of posts on X have shared graphic footage of civilians reportedly killed by RSF fighters, linking the violence to what users describe as Abu Dhabi’s financial and military support for the group. Other posts allege that the UAE has supplied drone systems to the RSF, which they say have played a key role in the conflict.

Participants in the campaign have also accused the UAE of destabilising Libya and of complicity in the war on Gaza, citing the country’s normalisation agreement with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020.

Several users shared an AI-generated image showing Burj Khalifa lit up with the Israeli flag. The tower frequently displays national flags or themed light shows to mark international events or expressions of solidarity.

Beyond accusations related to regional conflicts, some posts have also circulated unverified claims alleging privacy violations by hotels in Dubai, including rumours of unauthorised filming and blackmail.