Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has visited Dubai on a mission to strengthen diplomatic ties with senior United Arab Emirates officials and seek donations from wealthy people for Reform UK.
The trip marks his second visit to the United Arab Emirates within two months following a £10,000 journey sponsored by Abu Dhabi to partake in the Formula One grand prix.
At a GB News event, Farage said he had a “very good interview” on Wednesday with an unnamed UAE minister.
Present at the event was the chief executive of the state oil company ADNOC, and a former chair of the UAE’s national media council Sultan Al Jaber.
Farage gave a brief speech at the event, held to mark GB News’ fifth anniversary at the Aura Skypool, a 50-storey venue.
Speaking on the sidelines, he said he had spoken to “loads” of British expats during his stay in Dubai as he sought backing for Reform UK.
“There’s loads of expats [in Dubai]. Many of them would like to come back to the UK,” he said.
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Farage added that while he had spoken to many such people, the trip was unlikely to result in any donation announcements.
Comparing both countries, Farage stated the UK “has a lot to learn” from the UAE, praising the country for its low crime rate, business-friendly environment and tax system, and also its decision to ban the Muslim Brotherhood — a move successive UK governments have declined to adopt.
“These are all the things that we’re going to do in the United Kingdom,” he said. “We’re going to win the next election. And many of you who have come to Dubai will suddenly find London a more attractive place to be.”
Other attendees included the former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who defected to Reform this month, and his wife, Lana, alongside senior figures from GB News, including its owner Paul Marshall, as well as local businesspeople and financiers.
An expatriate cryptocurrency investor, Christopher Harborne, donated £9m to Reform in December, marking the largest donation ever made to a UK political party.
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