The UAE’s Shadow War
How Abu Dhabi Wages an Information Campaign Against Muslims in the West
The United Arab Emirates presents itself as a beacon of modernity in the Middle East, a land of skyscrapers, economic prosperity, and progressive policies. But beneath the shimmering facade of Dubai’s skyline lies a darker reality: a state deeply invested in political repression, not just within its borders but beyond. The UAE’s fixation on silencing Muslim voices, particularly in Europe and North America, is part of a broader geopolitical strategy aimed at curbing Islamic political activism. This quiet but ruthless campaign involves intelligence operations, disinformation tactics, and strategic alliances with the far right.
The Disinformation Machine
In 2023, the European Parliament exposed a disturbing reality: the UAE had orchestrated a vast disinformation network targeting European Muslims. According to an investigation titled Abu Dhabi Secrets, the UAE’s secret services hired Alp Services, a Swiss private intelligence firm, to run smear campaigns against activists, politicians, and organizations sympathetic to Muslim causes. The firm specialized in creating fake accounts, fabricating connections to extremist networks, and feeding these falsehoods into European political discourse.
The scale of this operation was staggering. Thousands of European citizens were secretly profiled and linked to radical Islamist networks, many of them falsely. These fabricated accusations damaged reputations, led to surveillance, and fueled Islamophobic rhetoric in media and government. This wasn’t just about information control; it was about shaping European policy against Muslims, pushing for increased surveillance, stricter laws on Islamic organizations, and even bans on Muslim practices like the hijab.
By amplifying fears of extremism, the UAE aligned itself with Europe's growing far-right movements, which found a convenient ally in Abu Dhabi’s crusade against political Islam. In doing so, the UAE effectively became an architect of European Islamophobia—despite not being a European country itself.
Why the UAE Fears Political Islam
To understand why the UAE is waging this war, one must revisit the Arab Spring of 2011. As uprisings swept across the Middle East, authoritarian regimes trembled. In Egypt and Tunisia, Islamic movements like the Muslim Brotherhood emerged as dominant political forces, advocating for democracy through an Islamic framework. The UAE, a monarchy with no appetite for democratic movements, viewed this as an existential threat.
Determined to extinguish political Islam, the UAE played a key role in orchestrating counter-revolutions. In Egypt, it financed and supported General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s bloody coup, which overthrew the democratically elected government of Mohamed Morsi. In Libya, it backed warlord Khalifa Haftar, fueling a brutal civil war to prevent Islamist-affiliated factions from gaining power. And in Tunisia, it propped up President Kais Saied, who subsequently dissolved parliament, erasing the democratic gains of the revolution.
Having successfully crushed Islamic movements in the Middle East, the UAE turned its sights to the last remaining stronghold of Muslim political freedom: the West.
Exporting Repression: The UAE’s Influence in the West
With Muslims in the Middle East largely silenced through military coups and surveillance states, the UAE realized that Europe and North America remained the only places where Muslim political voices could still thrive. Activists, scholars, and organizations in the West were calling out human rights abuses in the Gulf, advocating for Palestinian rights, and mobilizing against authoritarianism. The UAE saw this as a direct challenge to its grip on power.
To neutralize this perceived threat, the UAE adopted a two-pronged strategy:
Funding Far-Right Narratives: The UAE has strategically aligned itself with European far-right parties, many of whom share its Islamophobic stance. By financing think tanks, media outlets, and political figures that push anti-Muslim narratives, the UAE reinforces the idea that Islam is incompatible with Western values.
Weaponizing Social Media and Religious Figures: One of the UAE’s most insidious tactics has been the use of state-sponsored influencers who subtly shape public discourse. Take Faris Al Hammadi, an Emirati religious figure who attacks Muslim-led activism online. Recently, he dismissed the global Muslim boycott movement against companies complicit in Israel’s actions in Gaza as “Boycottism,” equating it with a false religion. By doing so, he discouraged Muslims from engaging in collective economic resistance, aligning perfectly with the UAE’s pro-Israel stance.
These campaigns are not just about silencing dissent—they are about fracturing Muslim unity, eroding collective action, and turning Western Muslims against their own causes.
When a Gulf State Echoes the European Far Right
Perhaps the most shocking element of this strategy is how closely UAE rhetoric mirrors that of Europe’s most extreme nationalist movements. The UAE’s foreign minister recently declared that “terrorism will come out of Europe,” echoing far-right fears of a supposed Muslim takeover. This is ironic, given that Gulf states like the UAE have been historically linked to funding and supporting militant groups in various conflict zones.
This alignment serves two purposes. First, it helps the UAE cement stronger ties with Western governments by presenting itself as an ally in the so-called “war on terror.” Second, it provides a justification for UAE-backed repression of Muslim political actors, both in the Middle East and abroad. By branding all forms of Islamic activism as “radical,” the UAE ensures that even moderate, democracy-supporting Muslims are viewed as a threat.
The Consequences of the UAE’s Information War
The effects of the UAE’s campaign are far-reaching. By financing and amplifying Islamophobia in the West, the UAE has contributed to a climate where:
Muslim organizations face heightened scrutiny and government crackdowns.
Anti-Muslim hate crimes continue to rise across Europe and North America.
Muslim-led political movements are increasingly delegitimized and suppressed.
Yet, despite its extensive influence, the UAE’s war on Muslim voices remains underreported and poorly understood. Unlike traditional forms of repression, this battle is waged in the shadows—through intelligence leaks, media manipulation, and the quiet shaping of policies that make it harder for Muslims to organize, speak out, or even exist without suspicion.
Conclusion: Standing Against the UAE’s Disinformation Machine
The UAE’s role in shaping Islamophobia in the West is not an accident. It is a calculated geopolitical strategy that serves its long-term interests: securing its own authoritarian rule, eliminating Islamic political opposition, and ensuring that its Western allies see Muslims—not repressive Gulf monarchies, as the primary threat.
For Muslims in the West, countering this campaign requires more than just awareness—it demands a proactive resistance against state-sponsored disinformation. Independent media, activists, and civil society must challenge UAE-backed narratives, expose its far-right alliances, and reclaim the narrative around what it means to be a politically engaged Muslim.
As Europe grapples with rising nationalism and anti-Muslim policies, it is essential to recognize how external players like the UAE have actively fueled these hostilities. The question is no longer whether the UAE is interfering in Western politics, it is how much longer it will be allowed to do so.