Dubai Sets Its Sights on Australia as Propaganda Push Reaches National Airwaves
Dubai has clearly set its sights on Australia. Segments like these are carefully orchestrated and approved at the government level. What viewers are seeing is not journalism, it is scripted public relations
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:
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.