70 British Citizens Face Up to 10 Years in Jail for Taking Photos in the UAE

Up to 70 British people have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates for taking photos and videos of Iranian drone and missile attacks. Tourists, expats, and cabin crew are now reportedly sitting in jail because they pointed a camera at something they probably didn’t even realize was illegal to photograph.

The numbers come from two UK-based campaign groups working with Emirati lawyers. Dubai Watch is directly representing eight arrested British civilians, but its founder, David Haigh, says local lawyers report at least 35 detained in Dubai and a similar number in neighboring Abu Dhabi.

What the Law Says

Emirati law prohibits anyone from taking or publishing photos that could “disturb public security.” When Iranian strikes occur, people nearby receive a text message in both Arabic and English warning that photographing or sharing images of security or critical sites “may result in legal action and compromise national security and stability.” Police reportedly approach people in the area and demand to check their phones on the spot.

Under the strictest laws, sentences go of up to ten years in prison, or perpetrators are fined up to £200,000 (roughly $264,300 USD). And here’s the part that’s particularly alarming: it’s considered illegal to even passively receive an image, say, someone sends it to you on WhatsApp.

One case involves a London-based FlyDubai flight attendant who photographed damage near Dubai airport after an Iranian drone crashed close by on March 7. He sent the photo to colleagues, asking if the area was safe. He was reportedly arrested shortly afterward when police checked his phone.

A 60-year-old British tourist was charged alongside 20 others after footage of Iranian missiles over Dubai was found on their phones. He deleted the footage, but was reportedly arrested anyway. He now faces two years in jail and fines of up to £40,000, charged under cybercrime laws.

The Daily Mail reports that so many people are being arrested that the legal system can’t keep up. This means that those detained face months in custody before even being charged. Some have been released on bail but had their passports confiscated, leaving them unable to leave the country. For expats whose work visas expire during that time, the consequences compound quickly: no passport means no work, and potentially no home.

In some cases, detainees were reportedly made to sign statements written in Arabic they didn’t understand. Access by British consular staff is reportedly “restricted or outright denied.” The Foreign Office isn’t automatically notified of all arrests, and some detainees have been advised not to contact the British Embassy at all, as it could reportedly prolong their cases.

Radha Stirling of the Detained In Dubai group said:

“British citizens are being held in overcrowded conditions, denied medication, and pressured to sign confessions without legal representation. This is a serious failure of protection. Immediate and robust diplomatic intervention is required to safeguard their welfare and secure their release. These are not criminals, but ordinary tourists, workers and residents who acted without malicious intent.”

David Haigh, whose own experience of detention in Dubai was severe, put it bluntly:

“Dubai is a corporation, a gleaming global brand desperate to keep the facade intact. So, once tourists and expats take photos of a missile intercept, or a drone strike, they become the enemy. They are arrested, vanished, threatened, charged, forced to report friends, and face years in jail.”

Take Care if Traveling to UAE

Before the Iran conflict escalated, more than 240,000 British people lived in Dubai. I personally also know many Serbs living there, and I have a friend in Dubai as well. The UAE remains a popular destination for tourists from all over the world, including the UK, and many may not be aware of what they may or may not photograph.

[Related reading: Photographing on the streets and the law in the UK]

The Foreign Office has confirmed it is supporting a number of British nationals detained in the UAE, adding that the British Ambassador “regularly speaks to the authorities about access.” But campaigners say that in practice, the grip on the true number of detainees is limited precisely because Dubai has no obligation to inform anyone, including embassy staff, that someone has been arrested.

The Emirati embassy in London said people had been warned, adding that disseminating such materials “can incite public panic and create a false impression of the UAE’s actual situation.”

For photographers, the instinct to document what’s in front of you is almost involuntary. Right now, in the UAE, that instinct could cost you years of your life. So, if you are traveling to the UAE right now or are already staying there, don’t photograph anything that could be interpreted as a security incident. Don’t even share images, even on private messaging apps. And if you witness an attack, put your phone and camera down. I guess it’s better safe than sorry.

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