Nigel Farage has taken his "Britain is Broken" roadshow to the glitzy skyscrapers of Dubai, courting UAE ministers and wealthy expats in a brazen fundraising drive for Reform UK.

The Reform UK leader, who is currently riding high in the polls, was the star attraction at a private rooftop party at the Ritz-Carlton. But it was his closed-door diplomacy that has raised eyebrows in Westminster. Farage confirmed he held a "very good interview" with a UAE minister, identified as Sultan Al Jaber, the CEO of oil giant Adnoc, signalling a deepening alliance between the British populist right and the Gulf state.

"We Have a Lot to Learn"

In a speech that flattered his hosts as much as it disparaged his homeland, Farage told the gathered elite, "We have a lot to learn from you, my dear sirs." He juxtaposed the pristine order of Dubai with what he termed the "lawless collapse" of London under Mayor Sadiq Khan, a rhetorical move designed to loosen the purse strings of disillusioned British expats.

The trip is his second to the Emirates in two months, following a controversial £10,000 visit paid for by Abu Dhabi to attend the Formula One Grand Prix. Critics argue Farage is acting as a "useful idiot" for the UAE, which is keen to cultivate allies who share its hardline stance against political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood.

• The Strategic Alignment: Sources indicate the UAE sees Reform UK as a potential kingmaker in the next British election. Farage's pledge to ban the Muslim Brotherhood aligns perfectly with Abu Dhabi's foreign policy objectives.
• The Expat Factor: Farage claimed to have met "loads" of expats who want to return to the UK but fear crime and taxes. He is positioning Reform as the only party that can "clean up" Britain to make it habitable for capital again.
• The Money Trail: While Farage downplayed immediate donation announcements, the presence of high-net-worth individuals suggests the groundwork is being laid for a massive war chest to challenge the Labour/Tory duopoly.

Diplomacy or desperation?

The sight of a British MP soliciting foreign backing by trashing his own country's capital is unprecedented. However, for Farage, the rules of conventional politics have never applied.

By forging a direct line to the power brokers of the Gulf, he is signaling that Reform UK is not just a protest vote, but a government-in-waiting with powerful international friends. The question remains: What will these friends expect in return?