UAE burnishes diplomatic credentials in Egypt

It’s been a busy summer for Emirati foreign minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (ABZ). As Egypt unravels, the UAE has found itself (willingly) thrust into the role of regional go-to guy, at times explaining the shape of the crisis to a much-confused West. Within days of the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi (GSN 951/1), ABZ was in Cairo. On 9 July, he accompanied his brother, national security adviser Hazza Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to see General Abdelfattah El Sisi and interim president Adly Mansour; there followed the announcement of $3bn in aid.