Watan-Hassan Ismaik, a prominent name in the world of finance and business, has become a key tool for Abu Dhabi’s regime in implementing its political and economic agendas in the Arab world. This Jordanian, who fled his country in the 1990s to settle in the UAE, built his fortune at an astonishing pace, thanks to the generous support of the Emirati regime.
Ismaik managed to become the first Jordanian to chair Arabtec, one of the UAE’s largest construction companies, acquiring 20.5% of its shares. However, behind these dazzling successes lie suspicious roles assigned to him as an investment front for Abu Dhabi in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Sudan.
Ismaik emerged as one of the pillars of the Emirati regime in money laundering and executing covert policies aimed at undermining the Arab Spring revolutions. He was among the supporters of the military coup in Egypt, contributing through Arabtec to an agreement with the Egyptian military to build one million housing units at a cost of $35 billion. Yet, the project never materialized beyond ink on paper.
In Tunisia, Ismaik provided significant funding under the guise of supporting youth and charitable projects, which were actually aimed at destabilizing the country and backing parties and entities loyal to the UAE. He was also accused of sowing chaos in Sudan, where he played a hidden role in serving the Emirati agenda to control the region’s resources.
On a personal level, Ismaik faces financial charges in Jordan related to corruption and money laundering, making him a wanted figure by authorities there. In 2011, he was linked to the dismissal of the Central Bank of Jordan governor, Faris Sharaf, who exposed his involvement in suspicious deals. Ismaik resorted to using a forged passport to ensure his return to Jordan when needed.
Ismaik’s role extended beyond finance to promoting normalization with the Israeli occupation. His name appeared in international articles advocating for the so-called “peace” with Israel, making him one of the most prominent faces of Arab Zionists. His “writing talents” surfaced after the signing of normalization agreements, using his pen to market the extreme right-wing Zionist vision for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Hassan Ismaik is viewed as a new Dahlan for the Emirati regime, enjoying significant influence due to his close ties with prominent figures like Mansour bin Zayed. However, to many, he represents the dark face of exploiting wealth and influence to crush the Arab peoples’ aspirations for freedom and dignity.
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