From Sudan to Epstein: How Do Emiratis See Their Country’s Reputation Today?

What Emiratis Say About Power Now

Last year, I recorded a video.

I asked the Emiratis one simple question:

“How do you accept to have leader with the morals of Mohammed bin Zayed?”

At the time, my curiosity was shaped by the headlines circulating then — reporting on the UAE’s involvement in Sudan, and that surreal story about a castle offered to Prince Andrew. I wanted to understand how people inside the country made sense of the narratives forming around their leadership. Not the official statements. Not the PR. Just the human pulse.

This month, newly released Epstein court documents from the United States introduced another wave of international scrutiny - this time involving the names of several Emirati women. These are allegations, not conclusions, but they have undeniably entered the global conversation about power, networks, and accountability.

And so I find myself returning to that original question, but with a wider lens and a deeper context.

How do Emiratis themselves feel about their country’s reputation today? How do these stories - Sudan, Andrew, Epstein - land inside the UAE?

Do they shift anything?

Do they matter?

Or do they feel distant from everyday life?

I’m resharing last year’s video not to provoke, but to listen again — this time with the benefit of hindsight, and with a fuller picture of how the UAE is being discussed internationally.

If you are Emirati, or if you live in the UAE, I genuinely want to hear your perspective.

Not the official line.

Not the defensive line.

Just your own.

How do you see your country’s reputation right now?

What does the world’s attention feel like from where you stand?

You’re welcome to respond publicly or privately.

I’m here to listen.