This visual contrast between the official and the parallel, between the state and what lies outside it, sums up the reality of Tripoli today: a city governed by multiple centers of power, where lines of loyalty intersect between the government, militias, tribes, and even foreign capitals.

As theUAE presents itself to the world as a model of Arab modernity, openness, and innovation, the walls of its ruling palace conceal an intense power struggle between two influential brothers: Thnoun bin Zayed, and Hazza bin Zayed.

In a joint statement on Sudan’s war issued September 12, 2025, the so-called Quad—Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United States—drew attention by inserting language that explicitly ruled Islamists out of the country’s political future.

The United Arab Emirates faces accusations of participating in an Israeli scheme to displace Palestinians by launching controversial projects aimed at pushing residents from northern Gaza to its southern areas.

Leaked documents and multiple European sources confirmed the UAE was involved in falsely accusing Qatar of bribing European parliamentarians.