This story was highlighted on BBC1 in the UK this morning. It will be interesting to see if anything happens due to the fact that this has hit the national media.
I have heard of someone who had done exactly the same thing at Fujairah Airport and was detained and eventually transferred to Al Wathba prison. That is where they keep those that are deemed to be a risk to national security. Because of that perceived risk, one can be held indefinitely without trial in the UAE.
The only way these individuals will be seeing freedom is if there is intervention at a high level.
It also raises an interesting point of what counts as being sensitive to UAE national security, especially at the moment. Get on the wrong side of a policeman and the possibilities could be limitless. It's also ileagal to take a picture that has any Emirati in the image and they have not given their consent, even if they are in the background of the image. Save the Nat Geo contributions for when you are out of the UAE.