UK – Detained in Dubai, May 27, 2025
US veteran and mother FREED from UAE after Trump and Rubio intervene
After more than five years of wrongful detention in the United Arab Emirates, US Army veteran Robert Dobbs and his 80-year-old mother Betty have returned safely to Wisconsin, following direct intervention by former President Donald Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio.
Robert Dobbs had been trapped in the UAE since a retaliatory civil case was filed against him by a British-run school in Sharjah, after he won a labour dispute over withheld end-of-service benefits. The school alleged unpaid tuition fees, and while Dobbs was unable to defend himself during COVID travel restrictions, a default judgment was issued. He became subject to a travel ban, lost his ability to work legally, and endured nearly 30 arrests over the course of five years.
Despite repeated appeals to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Vice President Harris and Senator Tammy Baldwin, Dobbs’ plight remained unresolved. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi acted after pressure from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after which UAE authorities stated they were under instructions from Rubio and President Trump to release Dobbs before the former president’s scheduled visit to the region.
