The United Arab Emirates resembles US ‘Teflon President’ Ronald Reagan. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed doesn’t need to worry about performance ratings. The UAE’s Teflon coating has long dampened the effect of allegations of loose money laundering and sanction compliance controls and human rights abuses, and repeated revelations about covert surveillance and monitoring operations beyond the country’s borders. However, the Teflon shield, the product of one of the Middle East’s most successful nation branding campaigns, may be fraying at the edges. The Fortress deal scrutiny does not mean the UAE’s Teflon is irreparably damaged.
