Introduction
As a member state of the global community, the United Arab Emirates engages and works with other countries to attain a more stable and peaceful Middle East. The principles governing the country’s foreign policy were established by the nation’s first head of state (Ketbi, 2020). They include a belief in justice in the foreign dealings between nations and the pursuit of peaceful resolutions of conflicts, with great support for international organizations (Ketbi, 2020). Through foreign policy, it seeks to guarantee stability as well as protect the interests of the weak, powerless, and small. The country provides foreign aid that aims to reduce poverty and empower higher levels of education and public health. In 2018, it sent more than $7 billion to forty-two nations (Ketbi, 2020). Two years later, it delivered over 1500 metric tons of medical aid to about 100 countries (Ketbi, 2020). This paper aims to discuss the United Arab Emirates’ foreign policy, especially its efforts on security and stability, which are threatened by religious extremists.
Discussion
Security and Stability
The United Arab Emirates condemns terrorism in every form and constantly renews its devotion to combating extremism and defeating the extremist ideas that result in violence perpetrated by brutal terrorist groups. The danger of terrorism is a continuous challenge targeting the security as well as stability of the Middle East, threatening the economic, social, and political systems (Ketbi, 2020). It is a worldwide phenomenon that goes beyond borders, religions, and cultures, and tackling it needs a combined effort from different nations. Additionally, the war on terrorism cannot be handled solely with the use of the military. Crime is multifaceted and requires specialized approaches to combat its spread. Thus, any strategies in place to stop it must consider a multipronged approach (Ketbi, 2020). This means that countries should aim to deal with the roots of radicalism to impair recruitment and encourage people’s active participation in society.
In its commitment to fight against terrorist funding, the United Arab Emirates has made significant efforts to strengthen anti-money laundering systems via legislation. Moreover, it works with foreign partners to monitor as well as disrupt the financing networks by collaborating with Financial Intelligence Units and international institutions (Ketbi, 2020). An organization such as the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) is responsible for the collection and analysis of fiscal data programs (Siyech, 2020). The United Arab Emirates recognizes the threat that extremist ideologies present. As such, it has adopted different techniques of preventing radicalization through moderating religious discourse across certain institutions and religious and media platforms.
Furthermore, the religious teaching syllabus has been thoroughly developed and standardized. By doing this, the UAE understands its value in the region and that others will do the same (Guéraiche, 2019). In 2012, the government established the Hedayah Center to train the communities in the fight against extremism (Guéraiche, 2019). Since being opened, the center has empowered individuals with new ways of preventing the spread of extremism by raising the participation levels of the community. It has well-shaped programs to counter radicalism and augment educational opportunities (Guéraiche, 2019). In addition, it is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and chaired a task force on the matter from 2011 to 2017 alongside the United Kingdom.
As part of its effort, the UAE, in collaboration with the United States, built the Sawab Center in 2015. This is a virtual interactive messaging program that supports the Global Coalition’s efforts against Daesh. The establishment has based its abilities on the voices of both Muslims and non-Muslims globally, who condemn terrorism and the wrong ideologies promoted by extremists (Guéraiche, 2019). Lastly, it targets harnessing social media as well as online communication’s power to identify and correct religious misinformation.
Conclusion
The paper has discussed the United Arab Emirates’ foreign policy, especially its efforts on security and stability. The United Arab Emirates engages as well and works with other countries to establish stability and peace in the region. In its pledge to fight against terrorist funding, it has made significant efforts to enhance anti-money laundering systems via laws. Additionally, it is working with foreign partners to monitor as well as interrupt the financing networks of extremists by collaborating with Financial Intelligence Units. A nation with good foreign relations needs to continue supporting its allies in various ways.
References
Guéraiche, W. (2019). The UAE and the Arab Spring: Rethinking foreign policy. In The World Community and the Arab Spring (pp. 395-407). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. Web.
Ketbi, E. A. (2020). Contemporary shifts in UAE foreign policy: From the liberation of Kuwait to the Abraham Accords. Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, 14(3), 391–398. Web.
Siyech, M. S. (2020). Understanding India’s increased counter-terrorism relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. India Review, 19(4), 351-375. Web.