Britain’s leading political party in recent polls, Reform UK, is actively cultivating a strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates, a relationship that became prominently visible during leader Nigel Farage’s current visit to the Gulf state. The controversial MP, known for his hardline immigration policies and advocacy for mass deportations, delivered a keynote address at a private GB News event hosted at Dubai’s luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel rooftop.
The gathering, attended by approximately eighty guests, included prominent Emirati officials such as Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. According to sources present, Farage expressed profound admiration for the UAE’s development, notably remarking that he wished his constituency of Clacton could emulate Dubai’s opulent landscape.
Central to this emerging alliance is a mutual opposition to political Islam, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. Farage explicitly praised the UAE’s prohibition of the organization and pledged that a future Reform government would implement similar measures. Addressing Emirati officials directly, he stated, ‘We have a lot to learn from you, my dear sirs. We recognize you are our friends. A Brexit London, a Reform London, will remember you.’
The event also featured Reform’s London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham and recent Conservative defector Nadhim Zahawi, who maintains significant residential ties to Dubai. This diplomatic courtship follows Farage’s previous visit to Abu Dhabi last month, reportedly funded by the UAE government, and a private donor lunch hosted by Dubai-based billionaire Sunny Varkey.
This political alignment occurs against the backdrop of the UAE’s increasingly assertive stance against organizations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. In January 2025, the Gulf nation designated eight British groups as terrorist entities despite their legal standing in the UK. Previous investigations have revealed Emirati efforts to discredit Britain’s largest Muslim charity through private intelligence operations seeking to establish connections with political Islamist movements.