After the Arab Spring uprisings erupted in 2011, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) quickly became opposing stakeholders in West Asia and North Africa. From the Egyptian coup of 2013 to the 2014-2020 Libyan civil war and the 2017-2021 blockade of Qatar, Ankara and Abu Dhabi bet on different sides, with significant friction in their bilateral relations. The UAE established itself as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member state most determined to push back against Turkey’s foreign policy agenda in Arab states, while also driving anti-Turkish discourse in Washington.

But since late last year, relations between Turkey and the UAE have warmed remarkably. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and de facto UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MbZ) visited Ankara in November, followed by a recent reciprocal trip by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. These landmark visits have underscored the trend toward détente...