Growing up, Dina – not her real name – would browse social media and imagine a life far from the one she was living. She felt shackled by the rules imposed on her by her parents, religion and the culture of the United Arab Emirates.

So one day she escaped, using social media to navigate through networks of people and ex-Muslim communities, to get to the West.

Several recent high-profile cases of Emirati women leaving the country have been in the news recently. But Dina’s story is more ordinary and indications are it is becoming more common.

We explore why Dina fled the UAE, how she did it and what life is like for her now.

Presenter: Reha Kansara
Reporter: Sophia Smith-Galer

(Photo Caption: Dina, who fled her family in the United Arab Emirates / Photo Credit: BBC)