The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has intensified its diplomatic and security footprint in the Sahel, conducting a high-level visit to the three member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—all currently under military-led transitional governments. In a whirlwind diplomatic tour completed in under 24 hours, Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State, met with top leaders in Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey, reaffirming the UAE’s growing role as a strategic partner in a region increasingly distancing itself from traditional Western alliances.
In Mali, Sheikh Al Nahyan held talks with General Assimi Goïta, reinforcing a security partnership first signed in 2019. Discussions included counter-terrorism cooperation, and investment in renewable energy, notably the Touna solar project, as well as agriculture and healthcare infrastructure. In Burkina Faso, President Ibrahim Traoré hosted the Emirati envoy to explore ways to revitalize bilateral ties and support economic recovery. While no new agreements were publicly disclosed, the meeting emphasized mutual interest in expanding economic engagement.
The final stop in Niger saw meetings with President Abdourahamane Tiani, Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, and Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangaré, capping the UAE’s diplomatic push in a region currently undergoing geopolitical realignment following the trio’s withdrawal from ECOWAS earlier this year. The UAE’s outreach signals its ambition to fill a strategic void in the Sahel as France, the U.S., and the EU scale back their military and diplomatic roles. Analysts view the move as part of Abu Dhabi’s broader foreign policy shift toward security cooperation, energy investment, and influence-building in politically volatile regions.
The AES bloc, established in response to growing anti-French sentiment and coup-triggered sanctions, is increasingly positioning itself as a sovereign, security-focused alliance, with growing support from non-Western actors such as Russia, Turkey, and now the UAE.
