Is the US-United Arab Emirates alliance salvageable? The United Arab Emirates assumes it can maintain very close relations with the U.S. while simultaneously supporting America’s two most preeminent adversaries: China and Russia. Recognizing failures of policy in relation to Emirati concerns, the U.S. should make clear that the UAE must decide whether to prioritize its relations with Washington or its...
Foreign Office apologises over handling of Matthew Hedges torture case. Department’s top official acknowledges profound impact UAE detention had on British academic. The UK Foreign Office has formally apologised to the academic Matthew Hedges for its handling of his arrest and subsequent torture by the United Arab Emirates. The apology was recommended by the parliamentary ombudsman...
Reacting to reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as host of the COP28 climate meeting which begins in Dubai in November, has defined a narrow list of talking points for its officials around climate issues and is aiming to avoid discussion of human rights abuses in the country, Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International’s Director of...
As the annual COP climate summit approaches in Dubai next month, one prominent figure conspicuously absent from past conferences may decide to attend COP28 – Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, there are good reasons why the ICC suspect feels comfortable enough to potentially skirt international justice and visit the UAE. Some context – in March,...
Oil-rich nations are in a quandary – how to keep harvesting their natural riches under the earth, continue to generate vast amounts of revenue, and stay out in front of the coming tsunami of climate action? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has found a solution: sponsor the annual COP28 conference, position itself as a leader in...
Russia, Iran, and the Territorial Dispute with the UAE. Under President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran has carved out an overseas agenda that is a patent departure from the country’s 1979 Revolution-era notion of “neither East nor West,” reflected in a seemingly irreversible estrangement from Europe. It had alarmed tensions with the United States, and a disproportionate...
Wagner Group’s Engagements in West Asia and North Africa. Wagner Group’s mutiny against the Russian military establishment and its sudden withdrawal in June 2023 have created chaos in Russia. This leaves analysts of Russian politics with several questions regarding the future of Wagner and the country’s internal dynamics. Such questions have also been raised in...
UN climate summit host UAE failed to report methane emissions to the UN. The United Arab Emirates will host the crucial Cop28 UN climate summit in December. It has failed to report its emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane to the UN for almost a decade. This was revealed by the Guardian. Its state oil...
COP28: Sex, Lies, and AI in Dubai. A coordinated campaign to promote the upcoming UN climate summit, Cop28, and its designated president, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, may be underway. BBC journalist Marco Silva has reported that over 100 pro-United Arab Emirates (UAE) accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, could be part of an AI-generated network...
Why on earth is a giant petrostate hosting Cop28? Putting the United Arab Emirates in charge of this year’s international climate conference is like getting a tobacco company to lead an anti-smoking convention, fumes Anthony Harwood. Two glaring contradictions leap out when you consider why on earth the United Arab Emirates is hosting this year’s international climate...