Will Smith's Visit to Dubai Sparks Anger on Social Media

Social media users have launched an e-campaign under the hashtag #WillSmith, urging the Hollywood star to check on princesses Latifa and Shamsa's fates.

The campaign came as Will Smith bids a visit to the UAE, to attend the opening ceremony of the new Deep Dive Dubai, the world’s deepest pool. However, social media activists and rights advocates considered the visit as an attempt to whitewash Dubai's poor human rights record.

Using the hashtags #FreeLatifa and #FreeShamsa, the social media users reminded Will Smith to check on the Emirati princesses, Sheikha Latifa and Sheikha Shamsa, who were both kidnapped and subsequently imprisoned in prolonged solitary confinement by their father, the ruler of Dubai amid serious concerns over their lives.