United Arab Emirates designates Muslim Brotherhood, dozens of others as terrorist groups

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates has issued a list designating the Muslim Brotherhood and dozens of other Islamist groups as terrorist organizations, ratcheting up the pressure on the group by lumping it together with extremists such as the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria.

The official state news agency WAM published the list of 83 organizations Saturday evening, saying the designations were adopted by the council of ministers, the federation's cabinet.

The move follows a similar decision by Saudi Arabia in March to designate the Brotherhood a terrorist group along with al-Qaida and others.

Saudi Arabia and the Emirates have taken a firm stance against the Brotherhood since its ascendance in Egypt in the wake of the Arab Spring.