Muqtada al-Sadr Travels from the UAE to Egypt

One week after reiterating his call for the dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Shiite Sadrist movement in Iraq, met with state and military officials during his visit to the United Arab Emirates. He is also set to travel to Egypt. According to Reuters, citing a senior advisor to Mr. Sadr, he met with Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince, and Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE Foreign Minister, upon his arrival in the UAE. This is Muqtada al-Sadr's second trip to Arab countries in the region within two weeks. Two weeks prior, he made an official visit to Saudi Arabia after 11 years, which both Riyadh and Mr. Sadr's office described as 'positive.' Following this trip, Muqtada al-Sadr referred to Saudi Arabia as the 'powerful father' of Arab nations striving for 'peace in the region.' The leader of the Sadrist movement added that during his meeting in Jeddah and candid discussions, he felt he shared similar views with the Saudi Crown Prince. While Mr. Sadr spoke of 'similarity' in views with the Saudi government, his movement had previously been described as aligned with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have escalated since December 2015, following the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia and the attack on its embassy in Iran. During this period, Riyadh has increasingly taken a clear stance against Tehran both regionally and globally, while simultaneously intensifying its crackdown on Shiite leaders in Saudi Arabia. Both countries accuse each other of interfering in their internal affairs and in the affairs of several regional countries such as Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. According to reports, during his visit to the UAE, Muqtada al-Sadr met with a prominent Sunni cleric in Abu Dhabi with the aim of 'improving relations between Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam.' Analysts view Muqtada al-Sadr's recent trips as a sign of his distancing from Iran and a desire to get closer to Arab neighbors in the region. This analysis has gained traction following Mr. Sadr's remarks regarding the dissolution of the PMF, which is primarily composed of Shiite militia groups supported by Tehran. The PMF was recognized by the Iraqi parliament in December 2016 as a reserve force for the army and police. Muqtada al-Sadr's office in Baghdad stated on Monday that both sides emphasized the importance of 'realizing true Islam' and 'rejecting violence and extremism' during his meeting with UAE officials. Muqtada al-Sadr is one of several Iraqi Shiite leaders moving away from Iran. He was the first Iraqi Shiite leader to call on Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, to step down and to separate his forces from Iranian forces and Iranian-backed Iraqi militias supporting the Syrian government. According to the state news agency IRNA, Muqtada al-Sadr's office in Baghdad announced on Monday that he will make an official visit to Egypt following his trip to the UAE. In June of this year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain suspended their relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism, interfering in Arab countries' affairs, and collaborating with Iran. As Muqtada al-Sadr selects his next destination from among the opponents of Qatar and Iran, his office announced that discussions between him and Mohammed bin Salman included a $10 million aid from Riyadh to Iraq, potential Saudi investments in Shiite areas of southern Iraq, and the opening of a Saudi consulate in Najaf. Baghdad and Riyadh announced last June that they would establish a coordination council aimed at enhancing relations between the two countries. In this context, Muqtada al-Sadr once again called for the dissolution of the PMF.