UAE to leave Arab League and GCC

International press reports have revealed that the United Arab Emirates has intentions to sever its official relations with the Arab League, in a move that may reshape the map of alliances in the region.

Cross-referenced sources  indicated  that this trend has sparked a state of alert within the corridors of the General Secretariat of the League, as officials seek to avoid a scenario similar to Abu Dhabi's previous withdrawal from OPEC.

The UAE is planning to sever its relations with the Arab League, saying that this possibility has  been a source of concern for Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy for several days.

Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, who was appointed to head the organization in March, fears the move could further weaken an institution that has already been repeatedly criticized for its ineffectiveness.

Fahmy recently reached out to Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Anwar Gargash, the Emirati president's diplomatic adviser  , in an attempt to persuade them to reconsider, and Fahmy is concerned that tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which prompted the UAE to make the decision to leave OPEC, could open the way for the formation of a second Arab bloc centered around the UAE.

Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki, a former Middle East adviser to former Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, was tasked with convincing the Emirati ambassador in Cairo and to the League of Arab States, Hamad Obaid al-Zaabi.

Official: The UAE will not withdraw from the Arab League for the time being

 An  Emirati official confirmed that his country will not withdraw from the Arab League or the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the time being, despite its abrupt withdrawal from OPEC amid the escalation of the Strait of Hormuz crisis, which has escalated disputes among Gulf countries.

 The Emirati official told Reuters on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, that the country is reviewing its role and contributions to multilateral organizations, but is not considering any further withdrawals at the moment, a day after Abu Dhabi announced its withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The official, who asked not to be named, said the UAE was generally reviewing the feasibility of its membership in multilateral organizations.

 The statement came amid intense speculation that Abu Dhabi may withdraw from other regional organisations, including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, following its abrupt decision to withdraw from OPEC from May 1.

The comments are part of a broader process underway to reassess alliances in Abu Dhabi since the start of the Iran war, with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) facing criticism for what Abu Dhabi has described as an inadequate response to the conflict.

Gargash hints at withdrawing. Attacks the Gulf Cooperation Council

 "It is true that logistically, the position of the GCC countries supported each other logistically, but politically and militarily, I think the position was the weakest historically," Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, said at a forum in the UAE on Monday (April 27th).

"I expect such a weak position from the Arab  League and I am not surprised, but I do not expect it from the GCC and I am surprised by it," he added.

In a post on the X platform on April 10, Gargash said the UAE would read the map of its regional and international relations "carefully" and then determine who could be relied on in the future.

"It is too early to draw the lessons of Iran's brutal aggression, but we continue to consolidate the concept of the state that enshrined the UAE's success and model, and we are working to strengthen our ability to preserve and defend this country,"  the post reads.With the confidence of those who have triumphed over a treacherous aggression, we will carefully read the map of our regional and international relations, and determine who can be counted on, including an economic and financial structure that strengthens the solidity of our model. Rational review of our national priorities is our way forward."