United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's surprise India trip seemed to have a ripple effect on South Asian geopolitical equations, bringing an indirect setback for Pakistan.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: File picture dated 20 May 2004 shows the United Arab Emirates’ new president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Khalifa, the eldest son of the late Emirati leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan who died 02 November 2004, succeeded his father as ruler of Abu Dhabi and, as such, was also elected to take over as head of the federation. The new ruler of Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of seven emirates making up the UAE federation, was born in 1948 in the oasis of Al-Ain, his father’s hometown, which did not have schools at the time.

Soon after Sheikh Nahyan’s three-hour visit, Abu Dhabi scrapped its plan to operate Islamabad International Airport– an agreement in talks since August 2025.

The development was confirmed by Pakistani publication The Express Tribune, which reported that the plan was shelved after the UAE lost interest in the project and failed to name a local partner to outsource operations.

The Pakistani media report did not link the collapse of the deal to any political motivations, but it comes amid a growing rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Once the closest of Gulf allies, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are locked in an unusual public confrontation over support to rival groups in Yemen.

While Islamabad inked a defence deal with Riyadh and wants to form what is being described as an “Islamic NATO” with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the UAE has signed new defence deals with India.NDTV
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