In a global climate increasingly shaped by populist and Islamophobic rhetoric, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a strategic backer of far-right movements across Europe. This transcontinental alliance is part of a broader agenda by Abu Dhabi: to undermine Muslim communities, dismantle Islamic political representation, and reshape the public narrative surrounding Islam across the continent.
No longer content with repressing Islamic movements in its regional backyard, the UAE has now extended its influence into Europe—allying itself with political forces that openly demonise Muslims.
An Official Visit Signals a Deeper Alliance
According to the French news platform Mediapart, Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party (Rassemblement National), is preparing for an official visit to Abu Dhabi.
The trip is reportedly being organised by Thierry Mariani, a European Parliament member affiliated with Bardella’s party. It marks the culmination of over a decade of covert relations between the Emirati regime and the French far right.
This isn’t just diplomatic theatre. The visit reflects a clear political alignment: the UAE is actively bolstering the French far right’s standing on the global stage, while Bardella positions Abu Dhabi as a willing ally in Europe’s anti-Muslim crusade.
Within the National Rally’s inner circles, the UAE is now seen as a “strategic partner” in confronting so-called “Islamic extremism”—a term long weaponised to justify discriminatory policies against Muslims across Europe.
Backdoor Meetings and Electoral Support
The UAE’s relationship with the French far right is not new. As far back as 2014, Marine Le Pen—then party leader—held a secret meeting with a senior Emirati intelligence official at her private residence.
According to one of Le Pen’s former advisors, the Emirati official offered direct financial support to the party for both political campaigns and public image projects. This support was facilitated through complex financial networks and PR firms, including backing for Le Pen’s controversial 2015 visit to Cairo, organised with UAE assistance.
A Tactical Double Standard on “Tolerance”
For the UAE, aligning with an openly xenophobic party may seem contradictory to its public image of “tolerance.” However, this alliance is fully consistent with Abu Dhabi’s selective interpretation of Islam—where “cultural Islam” is tolerated as a symbolic faith, but “social or political Islam” is aggressively suppressed.
The UAE draws a hard line between a depoliticised, state-approved Islam and the organic Islamic identities that thrive in diaspora communities across Europe.
Thus, the far right becomes a natural partner in the UAE’s campaign to silence and fragment organised Muslim activism—whether in Paris, Brussels, or beyond.
Bardella himself has publicly praised the UAE, calling it an “indispensable partner,” adding that collaboration with countries like Saudi Arabia and the Emirates should not be constrained by human rights concerns.
His party views Abu Dhabi as a model of authoritarian governance—one that combines tight security control with a shared hostility toward Islamic political identity.
Muslim Communities Treated as a Threat
This emerging alliance is not merely about diplomacy—it aims to reshape European perceptions of Muslim communities, portraying them as a “fifth column” or cultural threat.
From Abu Dhabi’s perspective, Muslims in France, Belgium, or Germany are seen as ideological extensions of the Islamic movements the UAE seeks to eliminate at home. As such, the UAE’s support for far-right parties is a strategic way to influence European domestic policy in favour of surveillance, bans, and legal restrictions on Muslim civic life.
In France, this manifests in the far right’s persistent calls to ban the Muslim Brotherhood—a demand that mirrors official Emirati policy and has become a shared political agenda.
The outcome is a two-fold gain:
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- The UAE gains influence over Islamic discourse in Europe,
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- The French far right strengthens its anti-Muslim narrative under international legitimacy.
Extending Influence in Africa—with Emirati Funding
The National Rally’s foreign operations—including Le Pen’s visits to Senegal and Chad, or Bardella’s planned trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo—are part of a growing international portfolio funded and coordinated through networks linked to the UAE.
This strategy allows the far right to:
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- Present itself as a “global political force,”
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- Gain legitimacy through relationships with wealthy authoritarian regimes,
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- Bypass Western financial institutions that often restrict funding to extremist parties.
In this broader scheme, the UAE becomes a gateway for the French far right to project its ideology globally—while receiving in return a loyal ally that echoes Emirati narratives in European institutions.
“De-demonising” the Far Right—with Gulf PR
The National Rally has spent years trying to “de-demonise” its image, distancing itself from its fascist and anti-Semitic roots. Bardella has worked to rebrand the party as a “respectable conservative force”—with help from strategic visits to Israel, appearances at U.S. events, and meetings with foreign dignitaries.
The UAE has been instrumental in this effort—not only through financial backing but also by:
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- Facilitating media support,
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- Establishing lobbying relationships,
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- Opening PR channels across the Middle East and Europe.
This collaboration aims to present the National Rally as a legitimate political actor rather than a fringe movement—a makeover that benefits both parties.
At its core, this alliance is not about shared values—but about shared enemies.
The UAE views political Islam as a threat to its autocratic model, while the French far right sees Muslims as a threat to national identity.
Together, they are crafting a dangerous narrative: one that depicts Muslim presence in Europe as something to be feared, regulated, and erased.
A Dangerous Convergence of Authoritarianism and Fascism
This alliance does not merely threaten the rights of Muslim communities in Europe. It marks the beginning of a new era—where Gulf authoritarian regimes and Western far-right movements co-produce policies that erode freedoms and normalise repression.
This is not just an alliance of convenience. It is the coalescence of two ideologies:
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- One that crushes dissent at home,
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- And one that scapegoats minorities abroad.
In this convergence, Islam becomes the common target, and Muslim communities the collateral damage.
The question for Europe is not whether this alliance will grow—but how long democracies can withstand the authoritarian influence of oil-rich monarchies funding fascism in their backyard.
