Abu Dhabi, UAE – Prominent Qatari poet Mohammed Ibn al-Dheeb has become a trending topic and a point of political and media contention on social media platforms. This comes after a series of poems and posts in which he lavished praise on the United Arab Emirates and its leaders.
Praise in a time of division
Bin al-Dheeb, once known as one of the most prominent opposition voices in Qatar and who spent years in its prisons before being pardoned in 2016, sparked a storm of controversy with his recent statements (until January 2026). He described the UAE as “everyone’s homeland” and expressed his personal and cultural affection for its leaders, particularly His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the UAE’s president. In defending his position, Bin al-Dheeb asserted that “the heart cannot be forced.” He indicated that his respect for the UAE stemmed from its values of generosity and hospitality. He also emphasized that his stance was “humanitarian” and not driven by political agendas. His supporters viewed this as an embodiment of the “Gulf spirit” that transcends borders.
A fierce Saudi attack and accusations of “treason”
This praise did not go unnoticed, as the poet faced a fierce attack led by Saudi and Qatari Twitter users on the “X” platform. Hashtags such as #MohammedBinAlDheebTraitor and #BinAlDheebAgent spread, with his critics accusing him of “political opportunism” and “selling his words to the highest bidder.”
The timing is sensitive: This controversy comes at a time of intense geopolitical competition between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, particularly concerning Yemen and Sudan. This has led some in Saudi Arabia to interpret Ibn al-Dheeb’s praise of Abu Dhabi as a provocative act of political alignment.
Activists have also circulated old videos of the poet criticizing Gulf policies, accusing him of radically shifting his positions based on self-interest.
The poet replied: “I am free and I do not fear pressure.”
For his part, Bin Dheeb did not back down; instead, he intensified his responses across his social media accounts, which are followed by hundreds of thousands. He asserted that he is a “free poet” who will not succumb to media blackmail. In a widely circulated tweet, he stated, “Those who accuse me of being a collaborator are the ones betraying Gulf unity due to their narrow-mindedness.” He also indicated that his relationship with the UAE would remain intact despite “political pressure.”
