The UAE announced its commitment to “building bridges” to aid the Afghan people following a social media announcement from Kabul’s foreign ministry that new ambassador Mawlawi Badruddin Haqqani had been formally welcomed in a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE’s expanding relationship with the Taliban includes the management of Afghan airports by the Emirati company GAAC, which took over after the US withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
The Taliban views the acceptance of their ambassador as a significant win, given their continued international isolation and lack of recognition from the United Nations, partly due to their policies on girls’ education.
An Emirati official stated, “The world acknowledges the difficulties Afghanistan has faced in recent years,” and emphasized that accepting the ambassador’s credentials reflects the UAE’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s development and regional stability.
The UAE, along with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, was one of the few countries to recognize the previous Taliban government, which was overthrown by the US-led invasion in 2001.
Currently, only a few countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, host Taliban diplomatic missions. Nicaragua appointed a non-resident ambassador to Afghanistan in June.
Recently, UAE-Taliban relations have been highlighted by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Afghanistan’s prime minister during his treatment in an Emirati hospital, and a June meeting with Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is sought by US authorities with a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.
