As Abu Dhabi signals its displeasure with Islamabad, analysts say other indebted partners will be watching closely
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenTom HussainPublished: 12:00pm, 11 Apr 2026Days before Pakistan had helped to secure a ceasefire in the Iran war this week, the United Arab Emirates was seeking repayment of a US$3.5 billion deposit from Islamabad’s central bank.The withdrawal, brushed off as a “routine financial transaction” by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, equated to roughly 21 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange reserves. It was accompanied by a wave of criticism on Emirati social media directed at Islamabad.
“Friendship is tested in moments like these. And today, many of us are simply asking: where do you stand?”
UAE law prohibits criticism of the country’s allies. The federation of seven hereditary Gulf monarchies tightly regulates social media activity and has detained scores of foreign nationals in recent weeks for posting videos of Iranian attacks online in direct defiance of government orders.
Which means, analysts say, that the social media users who rounded on Sharif – accusing Pakistan of choosing diplomacy over solidarity and standing against a partner that had bankrolled Islamabad for years – were likely operating with the authorities’ tacit approval.
