Deepfake Scam: Minister urges public to ignore fake investment endorsements
UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri has issued a clear warning against deepfake videos falsely portraying him endorsing investment schemes. Speaking at Gitex Global 2025, he urged residents and investors to remain vigilant and rely solely on official sources, while also outlining the country’s plans to expand its non-oil economy to 80% within the next five years.
According to a report by Khaleej Times, UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri has strongly denied the authenticity of videos circulating on social media that falsely depict him promoting investments in specific shares and financial programmes. Addressing the issue during a live question-and-answer session at Gitex Global 2025, Al Marri emphasised that he has never endorsed such schemes and warned the public not to fall for these fraudulent clips.
“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,” he said. “Please be aware that I will never do it. I would never say come and invest in these shares. It's actually a deepfake.”
With a measured tone and a smile, he added, “We need technology that detects deepfakes to protect me, first of all. But overall, to really protect our identity as a human race. That's an important aspect.”
Reaffirming his stance, he continued: “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.”
The minister was responding to a question from Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti , the head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, and used the opportunity to call for stronger safeguards to protect digital identity in the era of AI. He urged the UAE Cyber Security Council and technology stakeholders to prioritise the development of detection systems that can help counter deepfakes.
Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence to generate hyper-realistic but entirely fabricated video, audio, or image content. The UAE has seen a rise in such manipulated videos, some of which impersonate high-ranking government officials encouraging people to deposit money or invest in certain companies. Authorities have repeatedly issued public advisories warning residents and investors not to trust such content and to rely only on verified government sources.
Economic diversification and the AI race
In addition to addressing cybersecurity concerns, Al Marri also spoke about the UAE’s progress in economic diversification and the growing role of AI in shaping national policy. He noted that the UAE’s non-oil economy has expanded from 69% five years ago — just after the COVID-19 pandemic — to 77.3% today. The government now aims to increase that figure to 80% within the next five years.
“The world economy is seeing a little bit of peace after the Covid-19 pandemic and global conflicts,” he said. “But now the challenge of the AI race and talent is rising. This is not a race with other countries. It's a race with ourselves.”
He described artificial intelligence as a new frontier of sovereignty, arguing that just as countries allocate budgets for defence and cybersecurity, they must now begin investing significantly in AI infrastructure.
“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 are aligned, SMEs are grown,” Al Marri explained.
Strengthening AI capabilities
Highlighting the UAE’s long-term vision, the minister pointed to several key national initiatives aimed at fostering an AI-ready environment. These include the introduction of 10-year residency visas to attract global talent, the establishment of the UAE’s dedicated AI university, and the rise of local tech firms such as G42.
According to Al Marri, nurturing top-tier talent is vital to turning ambitious ideas into scalable innovation. “Having the best talent is essential — because you might have beautiful ideas, but you don't have the right talent to actually process it,” he said. “Even technology cannot progress alone. You have to have people who will actually help the technology to progress.”
With these combined efforts, the UAE aims to solidify its position as a global leader in the non-oil economy and in the responsible, strategic development of artificial intelligence.
UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri has issued a clear warning against deepfake videos falsely portraying him endorsing investment schemes. Speaking at Gitex Global 2025, he urged residents and investors to remain vigilant and rely solely on official sources, while also outlining the country’s plans to expand its non-oil economy to 80% within the next five years.
According to a report by Khaleej Times, UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri has strongly denied the authenticity of videos circulating on social media that falsely depict him promoting investments in specific shares and financial programmes. Addressing the issue during a live question-and-answer session at Gitex Global 2025, Al Marri emphasised that he has never endorsed such schemes and warned the public not to fall for these fraudulent clips.
“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,” he said. “Please be aware that I will never do it. I would never say come and invest in these shares. It's actually a deepfake.”
With a measured tone and a smile, he added, “We need technology that detects deepfakes to protect me, first of all. But overall, to really protect our identity as a human race. That's an important aspect.”
Reaffirming his stance, he continued: “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.”
The minister was responding to a question from Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti , the head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, and used the opportunity to call for stronger safeguards to protect digital identity in the era of AI. He urged the UAE Cyber Security Council and technology stakeholders to prioritise the development of detection systems that can help counter deepfakes.
Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence to generate hyper-realistic but entirely fabricated video, audio, or image content. The UAE has seen a rise in such manipulated videos, some of which impersonate high-ranking government officials encouraging people to deposit money or invest in certain companies. Authorities have repeatedly issued public advisories warning residents and investors not to trust such content and to rely only on verified government sources.
Economic diversification and the AI race
In addition to addressing cybersecurity concerns, Al Marri also spoke about the UAE’s progress in economic diversification and the growing role of AI in shaping national policy. He noted that the UAE’s non-oil economy has expanded from 69% five years ago — just after the COVID-19 pandemic — to 77.3% today. The government now aims to increase that figure to 80% within the next five years.
“The world economy is seeing a little bit of peace after the Covid-19 pandemic and global conflicts,” he said. “But now the challenge of the AI race and talent is rising. This is not a race with other countries. It's a race with ourselves.”
He described artificial intelligence as a new frontier of sovereignty, arguing that just as countries allocate budgets for defence and cybersecurity, they must now begin investing significantly in AI infrastructure.
“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 are aligned, SMEs are grown,” Al Marri explained.
Strengthening AI capabilities
Highlighting the UAE’s long-term vision, the minister pointed to several key national initiatives aimed at fostering an AI-ready environment. These include the introduction of 10-year residency visas to attract global talent, the establishment of the UAE’s dedicated AI university, and the rise of local tech firms such as G42.
According to Al Marri, nurturing top-tier talent is vital to turning ambitious ideas into scalable innovation. “Having the best talent is essential — because you might have beautiful ideas, but you don't have the right talent to actually process it,” he said. “Even technology cannot progress alone. You have to have people who will actually help the technology to progress.”
With these combined efforts, the UAE aims to solidify its position as a global leader in the non-oil economy and in the responsible, strategic development of artificial intelligence.
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