"UAE climate event organisers warn speakers not to 'criticise corporations,"

Speakers at a climate and health conference in the United Arab Emirates were told not to protest or “criticise corporations” in a warning that cited the Gulf state’s laws, alarming campaigners ahead of the country hosting the UN’s COP28 climate summit this year.

Organisers advised panellists at last month’s Forecasting Healthy Futures event in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital and its richest emirate, to “be aware and respectful of UAE laws”, and warned: “Do not criticise Islam, UAE government, corporations or individuals”, and “do not protest”.

The written guidance, seen by the Financial Times, added: “We understand that climate change can be a controversial subject and we welcome all perspectives and opinions in civil discourse throughout the programme agenda. Protesting is illegal in the United Arab Emirates and any instances of disruptive protesting will be handled by the local authorities.”

Climate activists said the restrictions on free speech raised more questions about the suitability of the oil-rich UAE to host the annual UN climate summit...

Lise Masson, climate justice and energy advocacy officer at Friends of the Earth International, said the COP conferences had long suffered from “corporate capture”. “We’re preparing for this COP to be an extreme and intense iteration of something that isn’t new,” she said...