Bella Hadid controversy: UAE malls respond

Photos of Bella Hadid appear to have been removed from retail outlets in Dubai, after the model posted an image of her boot in the foreground of Emirates Airlines and Saudi Arabia Airlines logos last week. Hadid, 22, visited The Dubai Mall in 2017 as the face of French luxury brand Dior.

But her promotional images have reportedly been pulled after public outcry over an Instagram photo. In the image, now deleted from Hadid’s Instagram stories, her leg was hoisted near a window with her boot in the air; in the background, two UAE and Saudi aeroplanes are visible. “We uphold the values of our nation and Saudi Arabia with the highest respect and regard.

We have brought the matter to the attention of the retailers to take appropriate steps,” said a spokesperson for The Dubai Mall, who could not confirm to Gulf News tabloid! whether the model’s images had been pulled from the mall.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Mall of the Emirates said: “A recent incident with a model for one of the brands at Mall of the Emirates is in no way associated with the mall, and does not reflect our values.” The Mall of the Emirates Twitter account also confirmed that a scheduled Diorevent has been cancelled.