A mass unfollowing campaign is targeting UAE-based influencers for 'lavish' lifestyles

“Those who hate us are jealous. We’re living the best life, from the inside and outside,” said Shero Amara while sharing footage of his stay at a luxury Dubai hotel to his 1.9 million followers on Snapchat - typical content for the Dubai-based influencer.

Little did he know that this seconds-long clip would help spark a widespread campaign for the boycott of influencers based in the United Arab Emirates.

Under the slogan of “saving future generations”, an #UnfollowTheDubaiGang campaign began earlier this month after Amara's video. Campaigners say they aim to put an end to an “era of banality” promoted by wealthy lifestyle influencers through a mass unfollowing effort, while redirecting the spotlight to the plight of Palestinians amid Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. 

"Dubai gang" is used by social media users to refer to prominent online figures whose posts primarily consist of showcasing designer outfits, documenting first-class flights and stays at luxurious hotels, and photographs of meals at famous, high-end restaurants. 

Included in the boycott are well-known Arab social media personalities such as sisters Narin and Sherin Amara, who have a combined following of 28 million on Instagram, celebrity couple Sara al Rawi and Ghaith Marwan with a combined following of 17 million followers, and lifestyle influencer Noor Stars with 17 million followers, among others. 

While the documentation of their day-to-day lives has captivated millions of viewers, campaigners say these accounts promote content that is trivial, superficial and incompatible with local customs and traditions. They argue that the influencers harm viewers through a warped view of reality.

"These are the people who make you live in a bubble, feel miserable and steal from you the beauty of life," said one user on TikTok.

"[They] make you feel like you won’t be able to make it in life, that they’re successful and they’ve achieved their dreams, all while you support their content, their lives, their businesses, their travels... and as for you, nobody cares about you, whether alive or dead," she continued in a video of her unfollowing celebrity influencers.

In response to the growing campaign, Shero Amara took to Snapchat in a video, which has since been shared on TikTok, to clarify that he was "thankful to God, and to his followers for the blessings he has". He did not address the criticisms or comment about the objectives of the call for a boycott.

"Do not be deceived by their justifications," commented one user.

Another wrote: "Don't stop the campaign... for the sake of the children of Gaza."

Middle East Eye has contacted the influencers mentioned in this article for comment. 

'Wake up'

While some social media users defended the influencers, many argued that despite occasional posts about Palestinians or Gaza, their content distracted from important social and humanitarian issues. 

Some users and commenters have said some of these influencers promote products and have contracts with companies that are boycotted as part of the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement against Israel. 

TikToker @Tarekalbasha.music said their posts do "not teach us anything" and called on viewers to take responsibility to stop "rewarding pointless content".

"While people in Gaza can't find a piece of bread, and mothers are crying over their missing children... people believe that a designer and luxurious life is more important than the voice of truth," he added.

@tarekalbasha.music ردّي على حملة إلغاء متابعة “شلة دبي”: المتابعة مسؤولية 🧐. #شلة_دبي #الغاء_متابعة #الغاء_متابعة_المشاهير #مشاهير_دبي #مقاطعة_شلة_دبي ♬ original sound - TAREK AL BASHA

In another TikTok video in support of the boycott campaign, a user shared footage of starving children in Gaza with text urging viewers to “wake up”.

@a2v_3 #مقاطعة #شلة_دبي #اكسبلور #explor #غزة ♬ original sound - ✰

This isn't the first time Arab lifestyle influencers have been subjected to a boycott.

Many lost followers during Blockout2024, a mass social media campaign that began after the 2024 Met Gala, and gained momentum in the US and spread to the Arab world and beyond. 

At the time, social media users encouraged each other to unfollow the accounts of celebrities and public figures they said did not use their platforms to shed light on humanitarian crises in Gaza and Sudan.