Fleeing its notorious record and mounting international legal scrutiny, Blackwater, the world's most infamous private military company, found safe harbor in the Persian Gulf. There, the UAE opened its coffers, welcoming the mercenary firm with open arms. A new empire was forged on a brutal foundation: safeguarding monarchies and executing foreign agendas in exchange for cash, immunity, and impunity.

In 2009, Blackwater rebranded as Xe Services LLC after a string of war crimes in Iraq, notably the Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad two years earlier. The cosmetic change masked a continuity of purpose, which is circumventing international law and orchestrating illicit operations from the shadows.

Founder Erik Prince officially stepped down but relocated to the UAE in 2010, where he launched Reflex Responses (also known as R2) and retained a 51 percent stake, ushering in a new era of industrial-scale mercenary recruitment.

By 2011, the outlines of a covert UAE mercenary army had emerged, tasked with exerting influence across West Asia and Africa. This was no accident as Blackwater played a central role, with then-Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ) serving as one of its chief patrons.

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