Gen Z are calling for a boycott on travel to Dubai and the UAE - here's why

There have been calls by Gen Z in recent days to boycott visiting Dubai and the UAE due to the Gulf state’s backing of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the war in Sudan.

It comes after the RSF - a UAE-backed militia - took over the city of el-Fasher in North Darfur from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on 26 October.

What has occurred there has been described as “Rwanda-style wave of hyper-violence" by The Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab, which has been monitoring the situation.

On Sunday (November 2), Sudan’s ambassador in Cairo, Imadeldin Mustafa Adaw, accused the UAE of backing a “terrorist organization," and even though there is evidence, the country denies this.

Meanwhile, the UN’s migration agency estimates 36,000 people have fled the region since Saturday.

What is happening in Sudan?

Since April 2023, there has been a civil war in Sudan as the country's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are in a power struggle, which has resulted in 150,000 deaths, while 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

As a result of these conditions, the population has experienced severe malnutrition and famine.

There have been recent claims of a genocide in Darfur following the fall of North Darfur capital Al Fashir to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as Sudan's ambassador to the UK has urged the world to act.

"It certainly seems that the international community is either helpless or just not interested," said Ambassador Babikir Elamin, as per Sky News. "We need to stop this mayhem."

The gold trade

Sudan produces gold, with it representing 49 per cent of the country's exports, and this has played a role in the ongoing civil war as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) compete for this natural resource.

Much of the gold mined in Sudan ends up in the UAE, as it imported almost 90 per cent of Sudan's legal gold exports, about 8.8 tonnes, in the first half of 2025, according to Sudanese central bank data.

Last month, a report released by Chatham House detailed this link, as Ahmed Soliman and Dr Suliman Baldo wrote: “The UAE continues to benefit from Sudan’s conflict gold, as the enforcement of restrictions on artisanal gold imports from countries where there is war or where gold is controlled by armed groups remains limited.”

Why is social media boycotting the UAE?

This latest news has sparked a number of posts on social media calling for people to boycott visiting Dubai and the UAE.

A viral post calling for this boycott read, "Habibi boycott Dubai (And the UAE)", adopting a slogan previously used in songs and social media posts to encourage tourism.

"Why? In Sudan there is a Genocide being committed by the Rapid Support Forces, who are funded and armed By the UAE," the post continued.

This post was shared by high-profile figures such as activist Greta Thunberg and rapper Macklemore - both of whom have also been outspoken voices with this cause.

A man responded to an Emirates Airlines post - one of the UAE's two flag carriers - on Tuesday, drawing thousands of responses highlighting the UAE's role in Sudan's war.

"This is how we do business," read the original post published by the Emirates' X account, along with a photo of the inside of a business class cabin, to which British podcaster Muhammad Jalal replied, "This is also how the UAE does business," along with a fearful a Sudanese mother and her child sat in the shadow of armed men who had taken part in the takeover of El Fasher.

The post was shared over 18,000 times, and received more than 80,000 'likes'.

"Stop going to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, boycott the UAE for their crimes in Sudan, it is truly not that hard to just book your holiday elsewhere there are much nicer places," someone else added.

Macklemore previously cancelled his UAE show

In August last year, Macklemore cancelled his show in Dubai to boycott the UAE in solidarity with the people of Sudan.

"At the end of the day I have to ask myself what is my intention as an artist? […] Although dismantling systemic oppression might not fully happen during my lifetime, our collective analysis is evolving. That is where it starts. When we realize our individual liberation IS Palestinian liberation. Is Sudanese liberation. Is Congolese liberation," he said at the time.

Elsewhere from Indy100, Gen Z is facing so much rejection experts say they need 'rejection training', and Gen Z are opting for 'career minimalism' in the workplace but what is it?

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