Reform UK and UAE Develop Increasingly Close Political Relationship

The relationship between Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and the United Arab Emirates has grown significantly, despite Farage’s earlier criticism of the UAE’s human rights record and political system.

Farage has made several visits to the UAE, including a January 2026 event in Dubai where he praised the country and told Emirati officials that Reform viewed them as friends. He has also endorsed elements of the UAE’s approach to immigration and pledged to ban the Muslim Brotherhood in Britain.

Other senior Reform figures, including deputy leader Richard Tice, treasurer Nick Candy and former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, have developed business and political links with the UAE. Reform has also looked to the UAE’s strict residency system as a model for its own immigration proposals.

The UAE, meanwhile, appears to view Farage as a potentially influential future British leader. Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed met Farage in London in May 2026, while analysts say Abu Dhabi can use Reform’s political and media networks to promote narratives that would be harder for the UAE to advance directly.

A major area of shared interest is opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood and political Islam. Reform has adopted increasingly strong rhetoric on the issue, while the UAE has long treated the Brotherhood as a major political threat.

Critics, including Human Rights Watch, argue that Abu Dhabi uses the Brotherhood label broadly to justify restrictions on dissent and independent Muslim organisations. Analysts say the growing relationship reflects a combination of shared political views, business interests, electoral calculations and the UAE’s broader effort to build influence in Western politics.