Speakers at a recent climate and health summit in Abu Dhabi were advised by the conference organizers not to “criticize Islam, the government, corporations or individuals” or protest while in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a recent investigation by the Financial Times.

A chilling message given the UAE is set to host COP28, the global United Nations climate conference, at the end of this year.

The warning to speakers is a stark reminder of the UAE government’s zero tolerance policy towards criticism. 

Since 2011, UAE authorities have carried out a sustained assault on freedom of expression and association, arresting and prosecuting scores of independent lawyers, judges, teachers, students, and activists, including Ahmed Mansoor, a leading Emirati human rights defender. 

The government has shut down key civil society associations and the law effectively prohibits protests. In late 2021, wide-ranging legal changes were introduced that have deepened the repression.