India Backs UAE, Pakistan Pays The Price As Islamabad Airport Deal Collapses

New Delhi: Pakistan has suffered a big blow from the Gulf region. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stepped back from its plan to take over the operation of Islamabad International Airport. This was the same deal that was agreed upon between the two countries in August 2025. Now Abu Dhabi has refused to move ahead with this project.

According to the report of the Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune, Abu Dhabi has decided not to show further interest in this project.

Why was the airport deal considered important?

Islamabad Airport is one of the largest and busiest airports in Pakistan. The UAE was going to invest in the operation and management of this airport. Pakistan was expected to get foreign investment from this and there was talk of improving the functioning of the airport. But now Pakistan's plans have suffered a setback due to the halt of this deal.

When did this decision come out?

The news of this step of the UAE has come at a time when UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India this week. This tour was decided suddenly, and it was not discussed much in advance. However, it is not made clear in the report why UAE decided to withdraw from the deal.

Is Pakistan's proximity to Saudi Arabia the reason?

Experts believe that mutual politics between Gulf countries may also be behind this. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have come very close in recent months. In September 2025, both the countries had signed a major defense agreement. It also said that if one country was attacked, the other would consider it an attack on itself. Türkiye is also showing interest in such a partnership.

Pakistan has been helping in training the Saudi army for a long time. In return, Saudi Arabia has provided financial assistance to Pakistan many times. In 2018, it had also given an aid package of about $6 billion.

Why does the UAE have a problem with this?

The UAE is feeling uneasy with the increasing closeness of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, especially the new defense deal. It is believed that this is the reason why Abu Dhabi is maintaining some distance from Pakistan. Apart from this, there are differences between UAE and Saudi Arabia on issues like Yemen, Sudan and Somaliland.

How did UAE's closeness to India increase?

Here, relations between UAE and India are continuously strengthening. This week, both the countries have signed new agreements on defense and trade. India has signed an agreement to buy Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) worth about $3 billion from UAE. After this, India has become the largest LNG customer of Abu Dhabi.

What does this mean for Pakistan going forward?

The stalling of the Islamabad airport deal is not just a business setback, but it is also being considered as a sign that Pakistan's position in the politics of Gulf countries is not as strong as before. Experts say that in the coming times, Pakistan will have to balance its relations more carefully; otherwise, such shocks may occur.