UAE to Replace Moroccan Police Officers with Bangladeshis Amid Diplomatic Tensions

At the origin of this decision, an instruction from the Emirati Deputy Prime Minister, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. According to an anonymous source close to the law enforcement authorities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, he would have "ordered the reduction" of the number of Moroccans enrolled in the Emirati police from 916 to around 600, and to replace them with Bangladeshis, reveals Middle East Monitor.

This decision would be explained by the cooling of bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. The two countries do not agree on the management of the Libyan crisis. Morocco supports the UN-recognized government of national accord based in Tripoli, while the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France (with little veiled face) are aligned behind General Khalifa Haftar.

In 2019, a fact divided the two countries: the broadcast of a documentary on the regional conflict in the Sahara whose content lacks objectivity. The Moroccan media had pointed an accusing finger at Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. This situation provoked the anger of King Mohammed VI who recalled his ambassadors in these two countries.

Furthermore, this reduction in the number of Moroccan police officers serving in the Emirati police would also be justified by the fact that the United Arab Emirates would be attracted by the cheap and skilled Bangladeshi labor, argues the same source.