Kamal Ghorui
Days after UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to New Delhi, Abu Dhabi has reportedly abandoned its deal with Pakistan for the management and operations of Islamabad International Airport.According to a report by Pakistan daily Express Tribune, the plan was shelved after the UAE failed to identify a local partner to whom airport operations could be outsourced, despite showing initial interest.
Citing sources, the report said the deadlock between the two countries emerged due to repeated delays by the UAE, following which it eventually lost interest in the process.“The Pakistani side had sought a clear response from the UAE by sending a final call letter. In response, the UAE conveyed that it was still unable to confirm any nominated entity,” sources told Express Tribune.Although the collapse of the deal was not attributed to political reasons, it comes amid a standoff between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over support to rival groups in Yemen.Pakistan’s souring ties with UAEInterestingly, Pakistan has entered into a defence deal with Riyadh and is seeking to form what has been described as an “Islamic NATO” with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.In September 2025, Saudi Arabia signed a defence agreement with Pakistan that considers an attack on one as aggression against both.The UAE had been among Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a key source of remittances, with thousands of Pakistanis working across various sectors. However, relations between the two countries have cooled due to safety concerns, licensing controversies and ageing infrastructure in Pakistan.New Delhi–Abu Dhabi tiesMeanwhile, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed visited New Delhi earlier this month and held delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Several agreements were signed during the visit in the fields of defence, space, energy, supercomputing and food safety. Prime Minister Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed also reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and agreed that the India–UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has not only matured but is now entering a more ambitious and multidimensional phase.Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said agreements were signed in the areas of strategic defence partnership, joint initiatives on space infrastructure development and commercialisation, and the UAE’s participation in the development of a special investment region in Dholera, Gujarat.
