Disney fans in the UAE have told The National they are staying away from the studio's live-action Snow White because of the political stance of its star, Gal Gadot.
The Israeli actress plays the Evil Queen in the musical remake of the 1937 animated classic, starring opposite Rachel Zegler, who plays Snow White. The film, which was made for an estimated $250 million, opened to scathing reviews over the weekend.
Gadot, a former beauty queen, served in the Israeli army for two years before embarking upon her Hollywood career. She has been open about her support for her country and its policies, particularly during Israel's war on Gaza, in which more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Addressing criticism of her stance, she recently told Variety: "When your compass is clear, your conscience is clean. I know what I’m advocating for, and I know what I wish for the world.”
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Ruth Bradley, a mother of three who has lived in the UAE for 21 years, says she and her family have made the "informed decision" not to watch Snow White because of Gadot and also as a protest against Disney.
Bradley, the founder of Ruth Bradley Consulting, recalls a recent holiday with her family in Sri Lanka where she says they had an "upsetting experience" watching Israeli soldiers "parade around our pool bragging loudly about how many Palestinians they had killed".
"It is something that will live with us forever, but more importantly it raised questions from our 13-year-old son, which we had to answer in the most delicate and sensitive way possible, as to what exactly is happening in Palestine and why," she tells The National.
Why would anyone with a conscience support a former soldier-turned bad actress who is clearly pro-colonisation?
Muhammed Ali 'Mali' Jamadar,
chief operating officer at Ostrich AI
"Despite the war having broken out the previous October, it was our first proper moment to educate our son, directly linked to something he was seeing and hearing with his own eyes and ears. Fast-forward a year and actress Gal Gadot, a pretty renowned former [Israeli] soldier, who has made no secret of her support for Israel, is one of the lead characters in Snow White. What sort of a message do we impart to our son by going to watch this film?
"It’s the same reason we haven’t stepped foot in a Starbucks or a McDonald’s," she adds.
For Palestinian filmmaker Waleed K Hmidan, going to the movies will not be escapism if Gadot is in it, but "a reminder that I have a home I am unable to return to".
"Gal Gadot has never been shy to make dehumanising comments about Palestinians and aiding colonialism and genocide," he says, adding that the actress is proud of her Israeli military service. "I will not normalise having her appear on the big screen."
British-Palestinian senior communications manager Nadia Taha says she is boycotting the movie to set an example for her niece.
"I want to be a role model for the next generation, and I refuse to watch Snow White as Gal Gadot's political views go against everything I stand for," says the Dubai resident. "Moreover, it really upset me that dwarfs were not hired to be featured, and that CGI was used instead. It’s 2025, we need to be more inclusive and give [people with dwarfism] the chance to represent themselves."
In January 2022, actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism, criticised the live-action remake by calling it a “backward story". Disney's response, turning the seven dwarfs into supernatural beings rendered in CGI, caused even more furore and allegations that it took away acting opportunities from performers with dwarfism.
Heba Adal, a housewife living in Dubai, says she is taking a stance by not spending her money on the film. "I am definitely not watching anything Gal Gadot is in. I'm not paying for someone who supports genocide," she says. "People need to understand that every little amount adds up."
Rona Saadeh, a Palestinian consultant, says she is doing the same. "Never in a million years would I choose to spend my time and money watching a film with an occupation-supporting actor – much less a film that claims to want to reinvent a fairy tale to fix outdated notions – even if she is cast as the wicked character," she says.
Senior PR manager Tooba Khan, who calls herself a "former fan" of Gadot, says she decided to stop watching her films after comments she has made since Hamas’s October 7 attack.
"Gal Gadot has long been one of my favourite actresses, especially after her role as Wonder Woman, a character who represented both female empowerment and strength. But after October 7, she made comments on social media that really troubled me," says Khan, who is Indian. "Whether they were born out of ignorance or a conscious choice to ignore the broader reality, her focus on the suffering of Israelis, while neglecting the pain of millions of Palestinians, including women and children, was hard to ignore. That was a turning point for me, and I decided to unfollow her on social media.
"Since then, I’ve made it a point to avoid watching her films, even though I was genuinely interested in movies like Heart of Stone. It’s tough to separate my admiration for her on-screen roles from her real-life stance, which seems to support causes that fuel so much human suffering. And for this reason, I won’t be watching the latest Snow White movie either, even though I’m a huge fan of the classic.
"I honestly urge platforms like Netflix and theatres in the region to reconsider showing her films or those of anyone who supports such harmful values. It’s important to send a clear message that there are consequences for backing causes that perpetuate injustice."
Dubai resident Muhammed Ali "Mali" Jamadar agrees, saying Gadot is someone "who has vocally painted genocide victims as aggressors".
"While she has done this since October 7, 2023, she's supported the [Israeli army's] previous incursions into Gaza and supports the illegal expansion of settlers in the West Bank," says Jamadar, the chief operating officer at Ostrich AI in Dubai.
"Why would anyone with a conscience support a former soldier-turned bad actress who is clearly pro-colonisation?"
Gadot's political stance is not the only reason people are deciding not to watch the film.
"I don’t hate Gal Gadot but she’s a terrible actress. It’s why I don’t want to watch Snow White," says a Dubai entrepreneur, who has asked not to be named.
"I’ve watched a few movies she’s in and she delivers lines robotically in monotone in every single one. Her politics, of course, make it worse," they said. "People feel one of the few choices they have as a consumer is to boycott or 'avoid' certain media due to the politics of people in them. If we talk about politics, we can’t ignore Rachel Zegler, who’s been pretty pro-Palestine and suffered for that reason too."
In August, after thanking fans for 100 million-plus views of the Snow White trailer, Zegler wrote: "And always remember, free Palestine."
In an interview with Variety two months later, she doubled down on her stance, saying: "I can’t watch children die ... I’m only responsible for what I feel. And then I’m also responsible for how I act upon it. We’re nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on October 7, but I’ve been following this conflict for so many years.”
Abeer Fadili, a retired Iraqi entrepreneur who was born in Dubai, says she will not be watching a movie "where the main star and almost everyone who made it supports and justifies the murder of children and civilians".
"You don't need to be pro-Palestine to take a stance, you just need to be pro-human," she says.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Carla Bruni
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