UAE weighs opportunities, risks in Afghan diplomatic scrum

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris Sept. 15. After their meeting, Macron praised the UAE’s role in the evacuations of foreign nationals from Afghanistan. The next day, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked Mohammed bin Zayed for the UAE’s “invaluable support” to Britain’s evacuation efforts, as both leaders held talks on Afghanistan and economic cooperation. 

Although the Afghanistan crisis has given the UAE an opportunity to shore up its partnerships with key Western allies, Abu Dhabi views the Taliban takeover with caution and concern. The chaos that accompanied the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has alarmed friends and allies about Washington’s reliability as a security partner.