PELONI: It is noteworthy to recall that the UAE has repeatedly opposed Israel’s efforts to destroy Hamas in Gaza. They opposed the initiation of the Gaza war, they raised a resolution before the UNSC trying to force a premature end to the war just a few months after October 7, and they have been useful in still supporting the move to block Israel from eliminating Hamas currently. So we should keep this ever in mind while recognizing the limit to which the UAE calls for an end to extremist ideologies, which is far from absolute.
MEMRI | Oct 15, 2026
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On September 30, 2026, Hammam Al-Hammami, co-pilot of UAE Flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, attempted to carry out a hijacking and terror attack, striking the captain with a cockpit crash axe and trying to seize control of the aircraft and sending the aircraft into a steep dive. He was subdued by passengers and crew.
UAE officials said that the incident shows that the fight against extremism is not over and that international cooperation is essential to uproot the foundations of extremist ideology and dry up its sources. These officials emphasized the UAE’s longstanding and determined struggle against extremism and terrorism, and they appear to have been attempting to distance the UAE from responsibility for the incident.
It is worth noting that the UAE has waged a decades-long campaign against Islamic extremism and has not shied away from attacking extremist Islamic organizations, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), which it designated as a terrorist organization as early as 2014 and describes as “one of the main roots of extremism.”[1]
However, in the case of the attempted attack against one of its national airlines, Emirati officials chose to discuss extremism and terrorism in general terms, without explicitly establishing a link to Islamic extremism despite the perpetrator’s known support for Al-Qaeda. [2]
Below are some official UAE statements on the attempted terror attack aboard Flydubai Flight 1073.
Senior Adviser to UAE President: UAE Is A “Beacon of Tolerance”; The Fight Against Terrorism Continues
In several posts on his X account, senior UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash emphasized his country’s longstanding and determined fight against terrorism and extremism and its efforts to dry up their sources. He added that the incident was a warning sign that this struggle had not yet ended, and that hatred does not justify terrorism.
Several hours after the incident, Gargash wrote: “The UAE will continue to be a beacon of tolerance, a fortress against extremism and terrorism, and a force generating positive change in the region.” [3]
A few days later, Gargash expressed his appreciation on X for Indian pilot Smit Machhar, who had been attacked by the perpetrator using the cockpit crash axe and had still managed to call for help. Calling him a “true hero,” he emphasized that “vigilance and caution are essential in the face of the dangers of extremism and terrorism.” [4]
The following day, Gargash wrote:
“The region’s fight against extremism continues. Justifying terrorism through hate speech is itself part of the danger and is not a marginal issue. The latest terrorist act is another warning sign that the struggle is not over. This underscores the importance of the firm position adopted by the UAE at an early stage: there can be no tolerance for extremism, and its rhetoric must not be taken lightly. Security begins with combating hatred and drying up the sources that nourish extremism.” [5]
Government-Aligned Daily: No Tolerance for Extremism; There Is A Need For International Mobilization To Combat Terrorism
Similarly, the government-aligned daily Al-Khaleej published an article titled “No Tolerance for Extremism,” which stated:
“The fight against extremism and deviant ideas will remain among the most difficult struggles facing the countries of the region. This is not merely a campaign fought on conventional battlefields, and victory will not be achieved through weapons alone. Rather, it requires a comprehensive project of enlightenment and development directed at people’s minds and cultural perceptions, one that will lead societies toward a future founded on the values of tolerance, innovation, and coexistence.
“The UAE, which has become an oasis of security and safety and a global model of tolerance and coexistence, realized at an early stage that combating terrorism and distorted ideas requires an environment protected by awareness and openness. It therefore worked to fortify minds through knowledge, openness toward others, and the establishment of a state governed by the rule of law and citizenship. It enacted laws to combat discrimination and hatred and launched historic initiatives to promote rapprochement between peoples and religions, such as the Document on Human Fraternity. [6]
“This document has made the UAE a global authority that inspires the international community to formulate strategies for peace and stability and contributes to building bridges between different cultures, regardless of the cultural and geographical distances separating them.
“If extremism is a phenomenon that crosses borders and penetrates minds, confronting it requires effective collective action and strategic coordination. These efforts must go beyond security and intelligence cooperation alone and include the construction of a regional and international network of ideological and cultural defenses capable of confronting the networks of darkness wherever they operate. In a world where methods of deception and fabrication are developing at an alarming rate, extremist groups are also developing their tools and infiltrating digital and professional spaces, institutions, and vital sectors.
“One example is the shocking incident aboard the recent Flydubai flight, which sounded clear alarm bells. This incident once again underscores that the threat posed by extremism and distorted ideas remains real and continues to change its form…
“The lesson of this incident is that the fight against extremism is no longer a conventional struggle whose course can be predicted. Rather, it is an existential battle that demands comprehensive vigilance capable of outpacing these organizations’ ability to conceal themselves and change their methods of operation. This struggle requires international cooperation based on sincerity and transparency in order to expose the networks and malicious operating methods of these organizations…
“Once again, the UAE’s position makes the matter clear and points toward the right course for dismantling the environment that sustains extremist ideology and developing comprehensive strategies to protect societies and preserve their development achievements against any infiltration by extremist elements or distorted ideologies.
“This objective can be achieved only through genuine international cooperation based on the exchange of knowledge and opposition to any manifestations of leniency or double standards in the classification of extremist groups and their affiliates. Only in this way will it be possible to achieve a decisive outcome that elevates the values of tolerance and uproots the rhetoric of extremism and hatred.[7]
[1] Anwar Gargash, senior adviser to the UAE president, made these remarks in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to designate several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, which he described as “a strategic, courageous, and historic decision.” Al-Nahar (Lebanon), November 26, 2025.
[3] X.com/AnwarGargash, September 30, 2026.
[4] X.com/AnwarGargah, October 2, 2026.
[5] X.com/AnwarGargash, October 3, 2026.
[6] The “Document on Human Fraternity,” also known as the “Abu Dhabi Declaration,” is a joint declaration for world peace and coexistence, signed in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019, by representatives of Christianity and Islam – Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. Its aim is to call for interfaith peace, promote tolerance and interreligious dialogue, and reject extremism and violence committed in the name of religion.
[7] Al-Khaleej (UAE), October 4, 2026.
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