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Reform chief Farage in outreach to 'anti-Islamist' UAE president
Nigel Farage is courting closer ties with the UAE, including a possible meeting with its president, as Reform UK looks abroad for allies and funding.
The emirate gifted Farage tickets to attend the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix in December. [Getty]
Nigel Farage could meet the president of the United Arab Emirates in the coming weeks, as the right-wing populist leader seeks to build international links, three people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
Farage, whose Reform UK party is currently leading opinion polls, is seeking financial backing from figures in the Gulf state ahead of the next general election, according to a senior party official.
The Reform leader travelled to the UAE in December for talks with senior Emirati officials and is expected to return later this month, when he will attend a GB News event in Dubai.
A potential meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed is seen by allies as an important step in bolstering Farage's international profile.
Senior Emirati officials are reportedly interested in strengthening ties with Reform UK due to shared opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Farage has pledged to ban should he take power.
Farage's outreach to Abu Dhabi's leadership has been aided by the recent defection of former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi to Reform. Zahawi has extensive business interests in the UAE and is understood to have close ties to the country's foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed.
One senior party figure said Zahawi's connections in the Gulf would be critical to fundraising efforts.
"My understanding is it's about access to the UAE," the official said, referring to Zahawi’s role within the party.
Zahawi’s links to the UAE date back more than two decades, when he launched polling firm YouGov in Dubai.
His two sons are employed by major Abu Dhabi state-backed investment firms, including sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and the technology company G42.
Zahawi has also acted as an intermediary in the UAE's attempt to acquire The Telegraph, a deal that was later blocked by the UK government.
Relations between the UAE and the UK deteriorated under the previous Conservative government following the blocked newspaper takeover and an ongoing legal case involving Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City.
The UAE has also recently ended funding for Emirati students studying at UK universities, reportedly over concerns that young people could be exposed to Muslim Brotherhood influence.
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