Fact check: Viral ‘Santa drone show’ near Burj Khalifa was fake; Elon Musk also shared video
Dubai: A viral video claiming to show a giant Santa Claus created by thousands of drones near the Burj Khalifa during Christmas celebrations has been debunked as fake. The clarification was reported by Khaleej Times, which confirmed that the clip was created using visual effects and did not depict a real event in Dubai.
The short video, which amassed more than 36 million views across social media platforms, showed what appeared to be a massive Santa figure waving beside the Burj Khalifa. The clip was widely shared with captions suggesting it reflected Dubai’s inclusive and multicultural celebrations. Even Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, shared the video with a heart emoji, further amplifying its reach and lending it unintended credibility.
According to Khaleej Times, the video was originally created in 2023 by UAE-based VFX artist Fawez Zayati. Zayati later clarified on Instagram that the footage was entirely fabricated using visual effects. “I created this video two years ago; it’s fake,” he said, adding humorously that he could create a similar VFX clip featuring Musk if asked.
The video was designed to appear authentic, seemingly filmed from the Souk Al Bahar area near Dubai Mall, with pedestrians visible in the frame. This realism contributed to widespread confusion, despite the creator having initially disclosed that it was a VFX project. Due to backlash and concerns about misinformation, Zayati eventually removed the video and urged users to verify content before sharing it.
Khaleej Times noted that the episode highlights the growing challenge of misinformation in the digital age, particularly as advances in visual effects and artificial intelligence make it easier to create highly realistic but misleading content. The report also pointed to concerns raised by experts following decisions by major tech platforms, including Meta and X, to scale back professional fact-checking teams and rely more heavily on user-driven systems such as Community Notes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2025
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Power of organisation: Digvijaya creates flutter ahead of CWC meet by sharing Modi's picture
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday lauded the organisational power of RSS-BJP as he shared Narendra Modi's old picture and said how a grassroots worker went on to become the chief minister and prime minister by sitting at the feet of their leaders.
The remarks that created a flutter came ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that decided on its agitational plan against the scrapping of MGNREGA from January 5.
Sources said Singh also raised the issue of strengthening the Congress organisation at the grassroots level, saying it was much needed in the fight against the ruling BJP and to oust it from power.
Singh, however, backtracked saying he only talked about the organisation and its strength and not the BJP or the RSS as he was staunchly against the two.
"Quora site. It is very impressive. In what way did the grassroots 'swayamsevak' of RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh @BJP4India sat on the floor at the feet of leaders and became the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country. This is the power of the organization. Jai Siya Ram," Singh said in a post in Hindi on X.
Congress leaders did not take any questions from the media at the press briefing after the CWC.
"In fact, I praised the party organisation. You people have misunderstood things. I am a staunch opponent of the BJP and the RSS," Singh clarified on his post after the meeting.
