We underestimated the United Arab Emirates / What we see may be only the tip of the iceberg Ali Abdi, expert on Israel issues: The perception of a part of the Iranian political system regarding the United Arab Emirates is still crude and immature; It is as if we are facing an ambitious sheikhdom with petro dollars that only seeks regional ambitions. While the UAE has found a specific role and function in the division of labor of the global political economy, its position cannot be explained solely by the ambitions of an oil state. The special relationship of the United Arab Emirates with Israel gave this position additional dimensions. The UAE must be examined beyond what appears on the surface; What we know about this country today is perhaps the only clear part of the story, and the rest of its dimensions and roles are still not well known to Iran. The simplistic treatment of the United Arab Emirates and Mohammed bin Zayed can be caused by not knowing the true position of this country in regional and global equations.

We underestimated the United Arab Emirates / What we see may be only the tip of the iceberg Ali Abdi, expert on Israel issues: The perception of a part of the Iranian political system regarding the United Arab Emirates is still crude and immature; It is as if we are facing an ambitious sheikhdom with petro dollars that only seeks regional ambitions. While the UAE has found a specific role and function in the division of labor of the global political economy, its position cannot be explained solely by the ambitions of an oil state. The special relationship of the United Arab Emirates with Israel gave this position additional dimensions. The UAE must be examined beyond what appears on the surface; What we know about this country today is perhaps the only clear part of the story, and the rest of its dimensions and roles are still not well known to Iran. The simplistic treatment of the United Arab Emirates and Mohammed bin Zayed can be caused by not knowing the true position of this country in regional and global equations.