King Of Bahrain Arrives In Dubai With Huge Robot Bodyguard? Not Exactly True

Social media giants have been fighting a long raging battle against the spread of misinformation on their respective platforms.?

The biggest challenge is the fact that it does not take long for such deceptive “news” to reach a large audience through these mediums. A new video claiming the arrival of the “King of Bahrain” at an event with his 8-feet tall robot bodyguard is a shining example of this.

For those unaware, a recent video is being viral on social media platforms that shows a man walking at an event and being followed by a giant robot. The video description claims that the man is the Emir of Bahrain who arrived at Dubai (in the video) and that the robot following him is his bodyguard.

Since its upload on several accounts, the video has garnered millions of views and thousands of reactions across social media platforms. It is clear from the reaction of some viewers that the video is being perceived just as what is being claimed, that the ‘King of Bahrain arrived in Dubai with a robotic bodyguard.’ Several publications also covered the story portraying the same.

Fact Check

The video is nothing but another piece of misinformation garnering eyeballs on social media. The truth about the video is that the man walking in the front is not the Emir of Bahrain and hence, the giant robot following close behind is not his bodyguard. It is, however, a much renowned robot named ‘Titan.’

The original video on YouTube is dated February, 2019 and mentions its correct specifics. You can watch it below:

The footage seen in the video is from a 2019 defence exhibition in UAE, namely the Idex Exhibition that was held in Abu Dhabi, where Titan was showcased to visitors. Even in the video, UAE flags can be seen on the shoulders and arms of Titan.

As mentioned, the man in the video is also not the Emir of Bahrain. The Emir of Bahrain is Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, an image of whom is shown below.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa (Image: Reuters)

Since its showcase, Titan has been a thing of wonder for many and has garnered eyeballs in many such events. It does not come as a surprise that such a video of Titan is being circulated to gain views. But as the bodyguard of Emir of Bahrain? Now that is a bit too much.