Dubai Police investigate viral video of tourists allegedly mocking Arab woman in burka eating

In a 13-second video circulating online, a woman is seen dining in a restaurant, believed to be in Dubai, while the camera briefly pans to another table where a woman wearing a burka - a face-covering veil worn by some Muslim women - is also eating. While the exact context or conversation of the woman and another person behind the camera is unclear, both of them appear to be laughing during the clip.

This incident has also led to complaints, with some users tagging local police and calling for an investigation into the tourists. The UAE, deeply rooted in Islamic traditions, has specific laws and customs, including a prohibition on filming local women without explicit legal consent.

In response, Dubai Police wrote in Arabic: “Thank you for contacting Dubai Police General Command. The matter has been transferred to the relevant authority to take the necessary measures.”

The video, which so far has garnered 43 million on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), has since sparked mixed reactions. One wrote: “Please make us proud and show these people that they should not play with our culture and dignity. If you visit the middle east and any other muslim country, respect the religion and the people.” Another said: “I’m sure a privacy law is breached here.”

Another wrote: “The irony! Visiting a Muslim country and comfortable with certain cultural practices, perhaps it’s best to educate urself before visiting or choose a different destination.”

A user hit back: “All of you who wanna punish her for laughing are a bunch of hypocrites - if it was reversed in a western country, you would cry about how bigoted and unfair this place...”