One of the most-powerful leaders in the United Arab Emirates has found himself entangled in special counsel Robert Mueller's report on U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian interference in America's 2016 election.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, believed to be the Emirates' day-to-day ruler, is the only world leader included in Mueller's cast-of-characters index near the end of the 448-page report.

His inclusion, stemming from his mysterious role in a 2017 meeting between a Trump associate and a Russian middleman for Vladimir Putin in the Seychelles, stands out against otherwise-glancing references to the wider Mideast.

But left unsaid — or possibly redacted — is what motivated the UAE to insert itself as a middleman in contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia.