Eurasia Press & News
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been accused of serving as a “Zionist Trojan horse” within the Arab world, enabling Israeli influence and destabilising the region to serve Tel Aviv’s ambitions. In a scathing article by Saudi academic and former Shura Council member, Dr Ahmed bin Othman Al-Tuwaijri, the Emirates is described as exploiting its alliances with Zionist Israel to challenge Saudi Arabia and other major Arab powers.
Al-Tuwaijri argues that the UAE’s strategic alliance with Israel is motivated by long-standing animosity towards Saudi Arabia, jealousy over its religious, geopolitical and economic stature, and a misguided attempt by Abu Dhabi to assert regional dominance. He characterises the Emirati-Israeli partnership as a calculated betrayal of Arab and Islamic unity, stating that Abu Dhabi has “thrown itself into the arms of Zionism,” believing that doing so would help it counterbalance Riyadh and other influential Arab capitals.
The article cites multiple instances where the UAE has collaborated with Israel to the detriment of Arab interests. These include direct military and intelligence cooperation, support for Israeli operations in Gaza, and the use of Emirati military bases in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa to facilitate Israeli assaults on Palestinian resistance groups. A leaked Emirati document reportedly reveals that military sites in Yemen, Eritrea and Somalia are being offered to Israel for operations against Gaza.
Al-Tuwaijri asserts that the UAE’s betrayal extends beyond the Israeli alliance. He outlines Abu Dhabi’s destabilising interventions across the region, accusing it of undermining unity and sovereignty in Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia, Egypt and Somalia. In Yemen, the UAE is blamed for sabotaging Saudi-led efforts to stabilise the country. In Libya, it armed separatists and bombed areas held by the UN-recognised government. In Sudan, it allegedly coordinated with Israel to support the Rapid Support Forces, fuelling ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Moreover, the UAE is accused of exploiting Egypt’s economic crisis to entrench its grip on strategic assets, including ports and financial institutions, and of aiding Ethiopia’s contentious Grand Renaissance Dam project, seen by many as a grave threat to Egypt’s water security, in alignment with Israeli interests.
Al-Tuwaijri’s article cites research from respected institutions, including the Dutch Transnational Institute, to frame the UAE as a “sub-imperial” power using mercenaries and proxy militias to impose its will across the region. He claims this militarised influence serves Israeli geopolitical goals, particularly the encirclement and weakening of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Highlighting the ideological dimensions of this alliance, the author accuses Abu Dhabi of spearheading efforts in the West to tarnish Muslim communities and Islamic institutions through smear campaigns, disinformation and espionage. Citing investigations in outlets like The New Yorker, he alleges that Emirati-backed firms have been engaged in targeting Muslim figures and organisations to serve Israeli interests.
Despite these grave accusations, Al-Tuwaijri differentiates between the Emirati leadership and the Emirati people, reaffirming the historical fraternity between the peoples of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. He reserves his criticism for Abu Dhabi’s ruling elite, particularly those who, in his view, have abandoned Arab and Islamic solidarity in pursuit of Zionist approval and imperial ambition.
