Alliance Foundation
The UAE-US relationship is the cornerstone of the federation’s security architecture. Since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1974, the partnership has evolved from a modest commercial relationship into a comprehensive strategic alliance encompassing defence cooperation, intelligence sharing, counterterrorism, and joint military operations. The UAE hosts the largest US military presence in the Middle East outside of Qatar, with Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi serving as a critical hub for US Central Command operations.
The defence relationship is underpinned by a Defence Cooperation Agreement and a long history of interoperability. The UAE Air Force operates American-built F-16 Block 60 aircraft, and Emirati forces have participated alongside US troops in operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and the coalition against ISIS. This operational partnership has given the UAE a unique credibility among Gulf states and has provided Washington with a reliable regional partner capable of contributing meaningful military capability to coalition operations.
The F-35 Dynamic
The proposed sale of F-35 stealth fighters to the UAE became the most visible symbol of both the alliance’s depth and its tensions. Announced in conjunction with the Abraham Accords normalisation in 2020, the USD 23 billion deal — which also included MQ-9B Reaper drones and advanced munitions — was positioned as a strategic reward for the UAE’s diplomatic breakthrough with Israel.
However, the deal stalled over US concerns about Chinese technology presence in the UAE, particularly Huawei’s role in the federation’s 5G infrastructure. Washington’s position was that the F-35’s advanced stealth technology could not be deployed in an environment where Chinese telecommunications equipment might compromise its security. The UAE publicly suspended discussions on the F-35 acquisition in late 2021, framing the decision as a reassessment of operational requirements rather than a diplomatic rupture.
The F-35 episode exposed a structural tension in the alliance: the UAE’s multi-vector technology sourcing strategy is fundamentally incompatible with the exclusive technology security requirements that accompany America’s most advanced defence platforms. This tension remains unresolved and continues to shape the parameters of defence technology cooperation between the two countries.
Counterterrorism and Intelligence Cooperation
Beyond conventional defence, the UAE-US partnership in counterterrorism and intelligence has been one of the most operationally significant in the region. Emirati intelligence services have developed capabilities that complement US operations, particularly in signals intelligence, financial intelligence related to terrorist financing, and human intelligence networks across the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The UAE’s role in countering Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen and its contributions to the anti-ISIS coalition demonstrated both the capability and the willingness to deploy military and intelligence assets in shared security objectives. This track record provides a reservoir of goodwill in Washington that has helped absorb the friction generated by disagreements on technology policy and regional issues.
Evolving US Middle East Posture
The UAE’s strategic planning must account for a long-term trend in US foreign policy: the gradual rebalancing of attention and resources toward the Indo-Pacific. While the US military presence in the Gulf remains substantial, the political commitment to regional security guarantees has become more conditional. The chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 reinforced perceptions across the Gulf that American security commitments are subject to domestic political cycles and strategic reprioritisation.
Abu Dhabi has responded by diversifying its defence partnerships — expanding cooperation with France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Turkey — while maintaining the US relationship as the primary pillar. The acquisition of French Rafale fighter jets, announced in late 2021, was partly a hedge against the uncertainty of the F-35 process and partly a signal that the UAE has alternatives if the US alliance becomes too conditional.
Risk Assessment
The primary risk to the alliance is a divergence in threat perception. If the US continues to deprioritise the Gulf relative to the Indo-Pacific, while the UAE faces growing security challenges from Iran, non-state actors, or regional instability, the misalignment could erode the partnership’s operational relevance. A secondary risk is technology decoupling: if the UAE is unable to satisfy US requirements regarding Chinese technology presence, the ceiling on defence cooperation will remain lower than both sides would prefer.
Strategic Outlook
The UAE-US alliance will endure as the primary security partnership for both parties in the Gulf, but its character is evolving. Abu Dhabi is transitioning from a dependent junior partner to a more autonomous actor that expects reciprocity and flexibility from Washington. The alliance’s long-term health depends on both sides adapting to this new dynamic — the US accepting a more independent UAE, and the UAE accepting that access to the most advanced American defence technology comes with conditions that may conflict with its multi-vector strategy.