Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates was the guest of honour in Delhi on Republic day. The India- UAE joint statement attacked entities and states which use religion to sustain and sponsor terrorism against other countries. This was a reversal of the UAE’s stand in the past. Governments have been asked by the two countries to control the activities of so called non-state actors. There was condemnation of the efforts of some countries to give religious and sectarian colour to political issues. The UAE’s changed stand is influenced by geo-political considerations. For instance Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Straits of Hormuz should there be a conflict with Saudi Arabia or the US. The UAE is currently a victim of the long war started by the Jihadist movements which it once funded generously. As a result of this funding, Al-Qaeda and the ISIS emerged. The monarchs of the Gulf states derive their legitimacy from Islam. The Emirates follow a savage policy of repression. Women for instance are jailed there for reporting rape. But now the UAE is aware of the fact that religion should not be the driving force behind foreign policy.
Previously the UAE looked upon Pakistan as its partner. It was part of the US-led western security umbrella and it enmeshed economic interests with it. But Pakistan has not been any help in Saudi Arabia’s war against rebels in Yemen backed by Iran. The US does not depend any longer on Saudi Arabia for oil. India on the other hand buys a lot of it. The UAE’s enormous sovereign wealth can be of great assistance to India in strengthening its infrastructure. The new amity is a reflection of a new awareness.
