UAE lists Muslim Brotherhood among terrorist groups

ABU DHABI (Xinhua) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially branded the Muslim Brotherhood and its local affiliates as terrorist groups, in a latest terror list that includes a total of 83 Islamist organizations, state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

The UAE cabinet on Saturday approved the list of terrorist groups, which includes nearly all known foreign branches of the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood.

The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, diplomatically supported the Egyptian military when it ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, also then leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, in July last year. Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, then military chief who played a crucial role in removing Morsi, was elected Egyptian president in June and has since enjoyed the UAE's staunch support.

Prior to Saturday's list, scores of Emirati and foreign members of the Muslim Brotherhood in the UAE have been arrested and sentenced to prison terms during the past 12 months.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have been in a row with their Gulf neighbor Qatar over the latter's alleged support to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The three members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) recalled their ambassadors to Qatar in March, accusing Doha of failing to abide by an GCC agreement on not interfering in one another's internal affairs. Reports said that a Gulf summit is expected to be organized in Riyadh to solve the issues between the three Gulf countries and Qatar.