UAE presidential adviser: UAE’s economic success behind rising online campaigns against it

Anwar Gargash, adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, has commented on criticism directed at his country, saying much of the anti-UAE rhetoric is little more than online noise driven by fake social media accounts.

He made the remarks during a session titled “The Geopolitical Reset” on the opening day of the World Government Summit 2026 in Dubai this week. Gargash outlined the UAE’s position on regional issues and global changes, and called for a clear distinction between “noise and reality” in “anti-UAE rhetoric”.

“It’s important to separate the noise from reality,” Gargash said.

Gargash said: “A large part of this discourse is linked to the UAE’s economic success and its policies of openness and diversity. If we rise one step above the level of social media, we will find that this discourse fades away.”

He also spoke about what he described as organised online campaigns, saying: “We were seeing around 45,000 hostile tweets a day on Sudan, and then suddenly Yemen became the issue and that number dropped to about 3,000. The same group simply moved on to another file.”

The presidential adviser said the UAE will continue to play a leading role in the region through ambitious economic policies, stronger economic and social diversity, and a wide network of relations in an increasingly multipolar world.

He added that Abu Dhabi will continue to support peace efforts in the region and confront extremism in all its forms.

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