Influencers and public figures in the United Arab Emirates have defended Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem and Hind al-Owais after their names appeared in emails released by the US Department of Justice related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who was recently replaced as chairman and chief executive of DP World following criticism over his friendship with Epstein, had led the global logistics firm for years and is frequently seen at international events alongside Emirati leaders. Although he is mentioned thousands of times in the released emails, which span from 2007 until shortly before Epstein’s death in 2019, there is no suggestion that he engaged in any criminal activity.
After his departure, prominent Emirati figures publicly praised his leadership and described his removal as a normal governance decision. Meanwhile, Hind al-Owais, a former diplomat and the first Emirati woman appointed to an international position at the United Nations headquarters, was also mentioned hundreds of times in the emails, including exchanges that showed she had met Epstein.
The correspondence, some of which occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, included informal language but did not indicate any wrongdoing on her part. Emirati commentators and influencers argued that professional contact or casual remarks in business settings do not amount to criminal participation, and they accused online critics of taking messages out of context and spreading misinformation.
Hind al-Owais
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