Relationship dossier
North Korea
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
The UAE ended diplomatic relations with North Korea in 2017 amid tensions over its nuclear program.
North Korea toward United Arab Emirates
Not assessedUnited Arab Emirates toward North Korea
-25In 2017, the UAE ended diplomatic relations with North Korea and closed its embassy in Pyongyang amid North Korean nuclear tests and international sanctions.
Overall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The United Arab Emirates ended diplomatic relations with North Korea in 2017, closing its embassy in Pyongyang and imposing restrictions amid North Korea’s nuclear tests and international sanctions. Information about North Korean government conduct specifically toward the UAE is insufficient to assess that part of the relationship.
Areas of tension
- North Korea’s nuclear tests and sanctions-related concerns prompted the UAE to end diplomatic relations in 2017.
Key developments
The UAE ended diplomatic relations with North Korea and closed its embassy in Pyongyang amid North Korea’s nuclear tests and international sanctions.
Major uncertainties
- Details of North Korean government policy and bilateral cooperation toward the United Arab Emirates are limited.
- The scope and implementation of the UAE’s restrictions on North Korea are unclear.