The UAE’s Rising Influence in The Middle East

Fawad Khan Afridi

In recent years UAE has emerged as an unexpected powerhouse in the complex and ever-evolving landscape of Middle Eastern geopolitics. UAE was once only seen as a hub for business and tourism but for becoming a key player in regional politics it has harnessed its economic assets, military capabilities, and diplomatic influence. This change has rebalanced power in the Middle East, challenging established influences and creating new dynamics in regional security, diplomacy, and economic alliances.

The UAE has transformed from an oil-dependent economy to a global hub for trade, tourism, and technology.

Throughout its rapid ascent, the UAE has taken chances with bolder foreign policies and played an active role in several regional conflicts while skillfully employing soft power such as economic growth and international linkages. So, what does this newfound leverage mean for the Middle East? As the UAE broadens its horizons, this is having a knock-on effect throughout the region, altering alliances and conflicts while also challenging what smaller states can expect when struggling to define their role in an area of historical polarization and volatility. This article addresses the reasons behind the UAE’s ascendancy and what that means for Middle Eastern politics going forward.

Historically dependent on oil revenues, the UAE has achieved a tremendous economic shift — transforming from an economy based largely in oil to one fueled by tourism, technology investments and trade along with Islamist finance services to renewable energy sectors. The ruling family of Dubai, which is the supreme emirate in UAE has made its constituent a financial and tourism giant across visible parts of earth.

Significantly, this transition has been under-pinned by substantial investments in technology and innovation. This commitment to a post-oil future is exemplified by the orphan city of Masdar City, one of the world’s most sustainable and vibrant Expo 2020 Dubai which showcased global progress. The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 seeks to derive clean energy from various sources which will help place the UAE at the forefront of renewable energies.

The UAE has smartly used soft power to enhance its global image. One of the world’s best in cultural diplomacy, education and humanitarian aid according to its 10th grand ranking on Global Soft Power Index. Core to its strategy is the inclusion of education establishments like NYU Abu Dhabi, which raise it as a place for knowledge and cultural acquisitions such as The Louvre in Abu Dhabi that increases soft power. While such a modest number in no way captures the full extent of their contribution to humanity—the UAE is one of the top humanitarian donors per capita globally, having provided life-saving aid since 2012 across devastating conflict zones like Syria and Yemen.

Through strategic military interventions and diplomatic maneuvers, the UAE has expanded its regional and global influence.

Situated at intersection of East and West, the UAE has become one global vital trade hub. It is home to Jebel Ali Port, which is the busiest in Middle East as well as Dubai International Airport – one of the largest and busiest aviation hubs connecting Asia Europe and Africa. The UAE’s free zones, particularly in Dubai have attracted so many foreign businesses because of its free zones which provide tax advantages to international firms. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) connects the region to global markets while Emirates Airline helps cement Dubai as a hub for trade and tourism.

The UAE has broadened its global reach thanks to this approach and that should help more such strategic maneuvers being engineered in the future as well. Last year, the UAE and Israel inked a landmark peace agreement to normalize ties between them, opening up cooperation in areas from healthcare technology to trade. The agreement represented a significant change in the geopolitics of Middle East and formed part of an extensionist agenda for UAE on global stage.

Moreover, UAE emerged in the news for its space ambitions. Its sports diplomacy is also in line with this aspiration, as evidenced by the successful 2020 launch of its “Hope” mission to Mars which saw it become the first Arab nation to send a spacecraft hurtling towards the red planet. Additionally, the UAE repurposed its production capabilities to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and stepped in with significant out-reach assistance to countries such as the UK highlighting a country which can make impactful contributions towards global crises.

To this end the UAE has employed its military muscle in an effort to increase its geostructural footprint regionally and internationally. In 1999, the UAE also made its first debut on the European theatre after joining NATO action in Kosovo, the first modern state with recognizable armed forces in Europe. Thus, cooperation with other nation’s military in this type of conflict was the first experience of the military and afterwards it can be described in the same manner.

From Mars missions to major trade agreements, the UAE is redefining what small states can achieve on the world stage.

In Afghanistan the UAE special force was partnering with NATO forces and was working on development projects and on assisting the society as well as fighting. Lately, the UAE has participated in Yemen’s conflict by bolstering Saudi Arabia in aerial as well as surface aggression. Laying these reasons aside and notwithstanding the existing difficulties and criticism, the UAE has continued to offer a great amount of support to the war. Besides, the UAE has directly intervened militarily in Libya and Somalia with forces that are opposed to Turkey’s regional interests and has established a base there.

The author is an MPhil student at the National Defense University, Islamabad. His research interests encompass strategic contestation in the Asia-Pacific and regional security risks in South Asia. He focuses on geopolitical rivalries, economic nationalism, and emerging technologies within regions.