In today’s increasingly multipolar world, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as a key advocate for global peace and cooperation, leveraging quiet diplomacy and strategic influence to foster balance and tolerance among global power centers. Reflecting this role, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, led a senior delegation to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on behalf of UAE President HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Pope Francis, the first pontiff to visit the UAE and celebrate Mass on the Arabian Peninsula, was a symbolic partner in the Emirates’ pursuit of interfaith harmony. This commitment is further exemplified by the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi—a unified space comprising a mosque, church, and synagogue—as well as the inauguration in 2024 of the first traditional Hindu mandir in the Gulf, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing dialogue between the United States and Russia over the war in Ukraine, the UAE continued its diplomatic engagement through a high-level visit to Moscow by Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. His official mission to Russia marked a significant step forward in strengthening bilateral cooperation on security, law enforcement, child protection, and interfaith dialogue. It is also a meeting of senior leaders of two very important Indian allies at a delicate point in the sub-continent.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continues to play a vital role in advancing regional and global peace, with Saudi Arabia facilitating dialogue between the United States and Russia, and Oman serving as a key intermediary in the U.S.-Iran negotiations. Within this dynamic, the United Arab Emirates holds a particularly strategic position. During the first term of U.S. President Donald Trump, the UAE signed the historic Abraham Accords, establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and contributing to the formation of the West Asian Quad—a cooperative grouping of the U.S., UAE, India, and Israel (also known as I2U2). This alliance has promoted peace, economic integration, and regional development and created an economic security mechanism in the middle east.
The UAE also plays a central role in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and remains one of India’s most steadfast allies, alongside Israel and Russia. Both the UAE and Russia have offered strong diplomatic backing to India, including after the recent terrorist attacks in Pahalgam which left 26 Hindu tourists dead.
Concluding his official visit to Russia, Sheikh Saif met with President Vladimir Putin—a clear indication of the visit’s strategic importance. The two leaders reviewed bilateral initiatives in security and law enforcement, including the launch of the UAE-Russia Strategic Police Dialogue and expanded cooperation in child protection training. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening peace and international solidarity.
At the Russian Ministry of the Interior headquarters, Sheikh Saif and Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) focused on preventing and combating organized and transnational crime. As part of this agenda, the UAE and Russia officially launched the Strategic Police Dialogue—an institutional platform to deepen collaboration and align best practices in modern policing.
On the sidelines of the ‘Family in Modern Society’ international forum at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, Sheikh Saif engaged in an interfaith meeting with Rabbi Aharon Gurevich, head of interagency cooperation at the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia. The dialogue focused on religious coexistence and interfaith harmony, reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to pluralism and tolerance.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE president HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan had a phone call on the May 1, where Putin thanked Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s role in the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.
