UAE Becomes 2nd Country to Accept Taliban Ambassador

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led foreign ministry announced that it has appointed its first accredited ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the second country after China to accept an envoy at that level. The UAE's foreign ministry hasn't commented on this development yet.

So far, the Taliban government hasn’t been officially recognized by any other foreign capital, with only China formally accepting the credentials of a Taliban ambassador.

In addition to the UAE, the Taliban have sent envoys to various countries, including neighboring Pakistan, to head missions as "chargé d'affaires."

On Wednesday, the Taliban-run foreign ministry stated that Mawlawi Badreddin Haqqani has been nominated as the ambassador to the UAE and has already presented his credentials to the UAE's assistant undersecretary for protocol affairs. The ministry added, "The newly accredited Ambassador of Afghanistan will soon formally present his credentials to the Emir of the United Arab Emirates during an official ceremony."

The Taliban have economic ties with the UAE, which secured contracts to manage operations at Kabul airport in 2022. Notably, the Taliban’s interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is designated as a "specially designated global terrorist" by the U.S., met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi this past June.

The Taliban took control of the Afghan capital on August 15, 2021, as Afghan security forces, bolstered by years of Western support, crumbled and U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

Although China and the UAE haven’t formally recognized the Taliban administration or confirmed any official changes in relations, some diplomats and international analysts suggest that accepting an ambassador could be seen as a subtle upgrade in diplomatic ties. However, many governments, particularly Western ones like the U.S., have stated that formal recognition of the Taliban will remain off the table unless they change their stance on women’s rights, including reopening high schools and universities for girls and women.

The Taliban maintain that they respect rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law, but they argue that restrictions on their banking sector and the lack of formal recognition are hampering their economy.