UAE Says it Busted Qaida Cell of Seven Arabs

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have broken up an al-Qaida cell comprising seven Arabs, who were plotting attacks in the Gulf state, an official statement said Thursday.

The cell was "plotting acts that would have harmed the security of the country, its citizens and foreign residents," said the statement carried by WAM state news agency.

The group was also involved in "recruiting people" for al-Qaida and providing the jihadist organization with "money and logistic support," the statement said.

It was also "trying to extend its activities to reach some other countries in the region," it added.

The UAE is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East, which has not seen any attacks by al-Qaida, and has been spared in the wave of Arab Spring uprisings.

The population of the UAE, estimated at over eight million, is nearly 90 percent foreigners lured by work opportunities in the wealthy country.

Authorities announced in December busting a cell of Saudi and Emirati members plotting a "terror" attack in the two countries and other states. They were described as members of the "deviant group," a term usually used in Saudi Arabia to refer to al-Qaida-linked Islamists.