DUBAI is famous for its tall buildings, fast cars and glamour – but when night falls across the city, a much more sinister image emerges.
Young female are being drawn to the glittering UAE by huge sums of cash, but can quickly get caught up in a disturbed cycle of depravity.
Stunning TV and are approached with incredible opportunities to “expand their careers” for mega money before becoming trapped by the ultra-rich people that have flown them in.
Once in the country, they are under their complete control where they can be raped, drugged or even end up dead, an expert warned.
is governed by Sharia law, which criminalises sex outside of marriage, meaning vulnerable women may feel they have no choice but to stay in the shadows or face arrest.
Despite its clean image, the metropolis caters for all sorts of seedy activities for the super rich, with brothels and sex clubs – as well as brutal “Porta Potty” parties.
These sick events involve rich men paying over £70,000 to play out their fantasies in real life and can include vile sex acts such as defecation.
‘Exploitation disguised as glamour'
While previously women from impoverished backgrounds may have been sex-trafficked into the country to meet the needs of wealthy clientele, it seems unsavoury characters have a sinister new tactic.
Online personalities and even TV stars are being targeted and sold the dream of a new life in the desert – but experts warn that not all that glitters is gold.
Just last month, a model vanished after attending one of the murky “Porta Potty” parties, the Mirror reported.
Ten days later, she was found at a roadside with her limbs and spine broken.
But the mystery deepened when Dubai said the model's injuries came from her entering “a restricted construction site” and falling from a height.
Ukrainian police have since launched a sex trafficking probe as they continue to investigate the circumstances around Maria's disappearance and horror injuries.
Maria is among the key demographic of vulnerable women often taken advantage of by wealthy men in the city, according to other young females with shockingly similar stories.
Founder and CEO of Detained in , Radha Stirling, told Flying Eze there have been serious warnings about the vile parties for decades.
She believes the brutal drug-fuelled and coercive nature of the luxury events are often covered up to maintain the city's positive reputation by its influential power players.
Dubai presents a highly polished and ‘crime-free' image to the world, but behind the scenes, there is a darker reality that needs to be addressed.
Radha StirlingFounder and CEO of Detained in Dubai
Radha says: “It's exploitation disguised as glamour or opportunity.
“Women, in particular, are offered all sorts of opportunities in Dubai.
“They might be offered to come and model, to come and play music, or to expand their career in some way or another.
“But what they don't realise is that when they get there, they are essentially at the beck and call of whoever has brought them there.
“They're under their complete control and they put themselves in such a risky position where they could end up gang raped, they could end up drugged, they could end up dead.”
Radha added: “Dubai presents a highly polished and ‘free‘ image to the world, but behind the scenes, there is a darker reality that needs to be addressed.”
The UAE government, including Dubai's authorities, has been taking steps to try and combat ever since new laws were introduced in 2006.
In 2023, officials investigated 37 human trafficking cases, with 97 per cent involving sex trafficking, according to the US Department of State – a significant jump from 2022, which saw 27 investigations carried out.
‘Influencer capital'
Influential flock to Dubai's golden beaches to bask in the all-year-round sunshine, promoting their trips on and showering the Middle East with compliments – with many dubbing it the “influencer capital of the world”.
But for all the glamorous showcases which have drawn thousands to the Emirates in recent years, some have found themselves behind bars for as little as writing a .
Last June, Emirates cabin crewmember , 28, from Ireland, was charged with attempting suicide, which is considered a crime in the UAE, and consuming alcohol.
She says she had been in an abusive marriage and, after a row with her husband, tried to end her life.
Police were called, but instead of helping Tori, they strip-searched her and put her in a crowded cell.
Former stars, influencers and top have also spoken out about attempts to lure them to Dubai – and it can be a very tempting offer.
Love Island season three star said she was offered £20,000 to attend a dinner and drinks in the Middle East when she was aged just 19.
She said: “It's high-end prostitution – it's just scary to think if they've messaged me, they've probably sent it to thousands of pretty girls on Instagram.”
She claims she was also offered £50,000 for five nights in Dubai, on the condition that she signed a non-disclosure agreement and what she would be required to do would remain confidential.
The reality TV star raised concerns that struggling influencers may feel more pressure to accept the generous offers to boost their careers.
, another Love Island star, said she was offered £100,000 a year in addition to all the clothes and bags she wanted if she would become a companion to a man in Dubai.
London-based Saint Mullan, also publicly addressed an offer she received from Dubai elites.
She claims she was offered £16,000 to fly out and allegedly fulfil a prince‘s bizarre fetishes, including urinating on her. She shared screenshots of their conversations online.
Wealthy model Kayla Jade told her followers that she knows people who have been taken away on private cruise trips where sick acts took place away from the city's bright lights.
She said it often feels like a “power move” from the men who are looking to gain “ownership over the women”.
Astonishing fees of up to £78,000 have been paid on the provisions that they “fulfil the desires” of the ultra-rich men, according to theNew York Post.
In the past, some have allegedly been paid up to £40,000 for extreme acts such as having their pulled, being beaten or even hung up from metal hooks – while harrowing accounts have suggested some participants have allegedly been forced into bestiality, according to dozens of influencers.
‘Disturbing' parties
Other sick events see women paid jaw-dropping amounts to perform degrading sex acts on a rich payee at “Porta Potty” parties that often involve defecation.
They have gained notoriety in recent years after being discussed on social media sites such as and X – but Radha says her team have been aware of the twisted events back as far as 2008.
She added: “The so-called Porta Potty' parties are a disturbing example of how women are sometimes lured into degrading or dangerous situations under false pretences.”
Radha accused the legal system in Dubai and much of the Middle East of not doing enough to stop these parties and prosecute those responsible for any alleged attacks.
Dubai has come under scrutiny for it's women's rights violations in the past – a man's consent is still required for marriage, divorce and even certain medical procedures.
Adultery is considered a major crime in the region with an individual being able to seek legal action against their partner if they suspect an extramarital affair.
Conviction for adultery in the UAE carries a minimum sentence of one year and it can be extended up to three years.
These laws can put young women at risk of being if they are invited into the country or to events by a married individual.
The men luring these women are often some of Dubai's wealthiest or are very well connected with elite members of society.
Radha warns victims often don't realise the control these people have and that corruption is rife.
It's a complete cover-up essentially of what happens under the glitz and glamour and the nightlights of Dubai within its underbelly – and it really does put women at risk.
Radha StirlingDetained in Dubai
She says: “They [Dubai's rich power players] can put them in prison if they like, without the woman or the victim having committed any crime whatsoever.
“They have complete control, and they exploit it because they can.
“It's a complete cover-up essentially of what happens under the glitz and glamour and the nightlights of Dubai within its underbelly – and it really does put women at risk.
“Once they're there, there's no getting out of it, and they might find it very difficult to escape without violence or without being falsely reported for a crime and put away in prison.
“There are all sorts of powers that the influential people have in Dubai that they can exude upon their victims.”
Radha made her views clear as she blasted the criminal justice system for “100 per cent failing British women”.
The mystery still remains over the what truly happened to Ukrainian modelMaria.
