WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT. Dubai is famed for its luxury lifestyle, attracting hundreds of social media influencers and reality TV stars each year – but behind the glamour lies a disturbing reality that has raised serious concerns for the safety and wellbeing of women visiting the popular tourist destination
Dubai is renowned for its soaring skyscrapers, upscale malls, and the jet-set lifestyle often flaunted by influencers. But behind the city’s glossy image is a deeply troubling undercurrent – a rising trend of exploitative gatherings known as “Porta-Potty” parties.
These events, allegedly orchestrated by wealthy men, target young models and social media influencers with promises of large sums of money, designer gifts, and luxury hotel stays. However, the reality behind the opulence is far more sinister, involving reports of extreme sexual humiliation, physical abuse, and serious legal risks for those involved.
Shockingly, the women involved in these parties could even find themselves prosecuted. Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, has warned that women involved in these parties – even against their will – could face charges of adultery or indecency, especially if married men are present.
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“Sex outside marriage has been legalised in Dubai, but organisers have exploited this. Women think they’re attending a private party – instead, they’re thrown into horrific, dangerous situations with real legal risk,” Stirling said.
Concern around the issue was recently reignited when an influencer shared on TikTok that a stranger she met at the gym had showered her with expensive gifts – raising questions about the true cost of such apparent generosity.
Jade, who goes by @outplayedbyjade online, is originally from France but travelled to Dubai as she documented her trip online. In her video, she explained how she had been leaving the gym when workers approached her with a gift from someone she had met on the treadmill.
“I didn’t think much of it,” she explained in the video. A worker handed her a bouquet of flowers and chocolate from the man she had struck up a conversation with.
Flattered, she texted the number he had left with the gift to thank him, after which she then received a call from a shop assistant at the luxury jewellery designer store Van Cleef & Arpels.
“I’m a very curious girl, so I make my way over to the shop,” she explained. “This assistant pulls out a beautiful bracelet and a matching necklace.” All together, the gifts were worth around £3,000.
And while Jade was over the moon with her gifts, fans were quick to warn the influencer that the man was a “professional” and to “be careful” amid reports of men recruiting women for “Porta-Parties” in Dubai.
One such alleged victim is Maria Kovalchuk, a 20-year-old Ukrainian adult model, who was reportedly left for dead after attending one of these parties. Maria vanished after telling her mother she’d been invited to stay overnight with two men claiming to be modelling agents. She never made her flight to Thailand.
Ten days later, on March 19, she was found dumped at the roadside in Dubai, suffering from a shattered spine, broken limbs, and severe internal injuries. Maria has undergone multiple surgeries, and her family, now at her bedside, are desperate for answers. It’s thought she is still recovering from her injuries.
Dubai Police confirmed that Maria is receiving medical care, but claimed she “entered a restricted construction site alone and fell from a height”. A statement many find hard to accept, given the disturbing rumours swirling around her disappearance.
Russian lawyer Katya Gordon, who has followed the case closely, bluntly alleged: “Model Maria Kovalchuk was found dying on the side of the road in the UAE after a party. The scandal with the Porta Potty parties has been raging for over a year.”
Gordon and others allege that Maria may have been forced to take part in a sex act involving human faeces – a central theme of these “Porta-Potty” events, where humiliation and abuse are part of the package.
These parties reportedly involve women being paid vast sums of money to perform grotesque acts involving bodily fluids, degradation and pain.
Viral videos have helped expose this shadowy world, but the abuse is largely hidden by Dubai’s shiny reputation and strict censorship laws.
With the rise of “Porta-Potty” stories, experts have warned of red flags to watch out for when travelling to Dubai:
- Beware of unverified agents offering large sums of money for vague modelling work.
- Never agree to travel alone to private parties or accept all-expenses-paid trips without vetting the hosts.
- Check in regularly with friends or family, and always share your location.
- Avoid entering private hotel rooms, villas, or yachts with strangers, especially late at night.
- Understand the legal risks: Dubai has strict laws, and foreign women can still be charged with public indecency, adultery or prostitution, even if coerced.
Maria’s mother told Ukrainian media: “She has no documents, no phone, nothing. She’s had three operations. She can’t speak. We were told she went to a party, but the promoter claims he never saw her. We’re terrified of what really happened.”
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or by calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
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