UAE minister says investment videos of him circulating online are deepfakes

[Editor's note: From smart cars to dancing robots, follow Khaleej Times' live blog to catch real-time updates about Gitex 2025.]

UAE’s Minister of Economy Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri asked residents and investors not to believe in videos doing rounds on social media about him advising people to invest in certain shares.

Recommended For You

Dubai: How residents can avoid power cuts amid rainy season; 6 steps to take

China's factory-gate deflation eases in October, consumer prices rise

US: Cleaning woman shot dead by homeowner after arriving at wrong address

Dubai powers ahead as global startup hub: Over 580 digital firms backed in 2025

E-Home Movers expands office relocation services to power Dubai’s business growth

 

“I think you've seen a lot of videos about me investing in some shares and an investment programme. I never did that in my life. Please be aware that I will never do it. I would never say come and invest in these shares. It's actually a deepfake,” Al Marri said during a question-and-answer session at Gitex Global 2025.

“We need technology that detects deepfakes to protect me, first of all,” he said, with a smile. “But overall, to really protect our identity as a human race. That's an important aspect.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

"I encourage everyone here, and at the UAE Cyber Security Council to really see how to protect our identity in the digital and AI race."

"Again, anything you see about me; all those videos, it's not me. It's a deepfake. I will never, never say invest in X or Y shares,” he said, while answering a question put by Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of Cybersecurity at the UAE Government.

Deepfake is a form of AI that can be used to create convincing hoax images, sounds, and videos.

There are numerous other deepfake videos of senior government officials circulating online on similar topics, asking people to make deposits in certain accounts or invest in certain companies and sectors. Authorities in the UAE issue advisories time and again against such fake content and posts, asking residents and investors to source information only through official channels. 

80% non-oil economy in 5 years

Al Marri added that the world economy is witnessing a “little bit of peace” after Covid-19 pandemic and wars in the world, but now the challenge of AI race and talent is rising.

“This is not a race with other countries. It's a race with ourselves.

Our economy, five years ago, was 69 per cent non-oil economy after Covid, and today we are about 77.3 per cent non-oil. As we are diversifying, I want non-oil to reach 80 per cent of non-oil in the next five years,” the minister added.

Highlighting the importance of artificial intelligence, Al Marri added that countries like spend budgets on defence, cybersecurity, they will have to spend budget on AI as well.

“AI is a sovereignty for every single nation. So, the race is not across the street or across countries, it's a race within us – how infrastructure is built, talent is groomed, strategies is aligned, SMEs are grown,” he said during a fireside chat on the first day of Gitex Global 2025.

He pointed out that the UAE’s launch of 10-year residency visas, the launch of AI university and companies such as G42 are aimed at attracting and grooming talent in the country.

He stressed having the best talent “because you might have beautiful ideas, but you don't have the right talent to actually process it. Even technology cannot progress alone. You have to have people who will actually help the technology to progress.”

• Dubai

Waheed Abbas

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.