A woman dressed as a dugong, a rare marine mammal, beseeched passers-by to end the burning of fossil fuels. Protesters wiped away tears as they recited the names of Palestinians killed by Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

And an exiled Emirati dissident joined a panel discussion about human rights via a shaky video connection, speaking out in support of political prisoners held less than 100 miles from the sprawling conference site.

Tens of thousands of people from around the world have descended on the Persian Gulf city-state of Dubai for the annual United Nations summit on climate change, bringing the rare spectacle of political mobilization to the United Arab Emirates, the authoritarian host.

Holding the talks, known as COP28, in a major oil-producing country whose budget is built on revenue from the fossil fuels that scientists say cause the bulk of global warming — spurred controversy in itself. But climate and human rights activists said that COP28 was also testing the limits of a state that effectively outlaws most forms of political action, including protests, typically an essential part of the summit.

To host the event, which began late last month, the Emirates, one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the Middle East, complied with U.N. rules that facilitate preapproved protests within part of the venue. That area, known as the “blue zone,” is walled-off and not subject to local laws.

Emirati officials also pledged to make COP28 one of the “most inclusive” editions of the climate meetings by expanding the participation of youths, women and Indigenous people.