TRI VAN (Synthesis)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is said to be distancing itself from US foreign policy, especially regarding isolating Russia and limiting relations with China.
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed (left) during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Putin last year. Kremlin photo
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has long been seen as a close ally of the United States, relying on Washington to protect Abu Dhabi. But the leader of the oil-rich kingdom has traveled to Russia twice in the past year to meet with President Vladimir Putin. In June, the UAE was also the guest of honor at the 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Meanwhile, the UAE and Chinese air forces will train together for the first time later this month—a notable change for a country that has long relied on American fighter jets, weapons, and protection.
Abu Dhabi’s deepening ties with Moscow and Beijing show how a Middle Eastern country that the United States considers a key partner is increasingly distancing itself from Washington. U.S. officials have had limited success in convincing Sheikh Mohammed to follow Washington’s foreign policy agenda, particularly in limiting military ties with China and isolating Russia after its “special operation” in Ukraine. Instead, the UAE has attracted Russian investment, fueling a real estate boom in the glittering metropolis of Dubai. Analysts say the UAE’s growing ties with both U.S. rivals and other developing economies are preparing for a world that is no longer dominated by Washington.
Over the past decade, UAE leaders have expressed concerns about the long-term commitment of the United States to the Middle East, which is home to tens of thousands of American troops. They fear a decline in American interests in the region, a weakening of military defense capabilities, and a perception that Washington is not doing enough to deter threats from Iran, but they continue to seek greater protection from the United States. But in an interview with The New York Times in June, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dana Stroul said the United States remains present in the region but is “asking our partners to do more.”
Despite its small size, roughly the size of South Carolina, the UAE is one of the world’s leading oil exporters and has sovereign wealth funds worth $1.5 trillion. It has been quick to diversify its economy away from oil and expand its influence abroad in a number of ways, including through sports. Notably, Abu Dhabi has moved earlier than its neighbors to pursue a foreign policy more independent of Washington.
The UAE’s more assertive foreign policy began a decade ago, when the Arab Spring revolutions toppled regional dictators and then-US President Barack Obama announced a “pivot” to Asia. As the uprisings reshaped the Middle East’s power structure, the UAE sent troops and weapons into several of the region’s subsequent wars. In 2014, it launched airstrikes in Libya without notifying the US. In 2015, after an Iranian-backed militia seized control of the Yemeni capital Sana’a, UAE forces joined a Saudi-led military coalition to intervene, plunging Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In 2019, the UAE announced its withdrawal from Yemen, marking the beginning of a softer foreign policy that prioritized reducing tensions, especially with Iran.
But the UAE’s frustration with the US continues to simmer. President Sheikh Mohammed has not visited the US since 2017. In 2021, the UAE suspended talks with the US on the purchase of F-35 fighter jets as part of a $23 billion arms deal, instead signing several arms deals with other countries, including light attack aircraft from China. Tensions between the UAE and the US were further inflamed after Russia attacked Ukraine in February last year. The UAE, along with many other countries, has said it will not be forced to take sides and will continue to engage in open dialogue with Russia in pursuit of peaceful goals.
However, Dina Esfandiary, senior adviser to the Middle East and North Africa programme at the independent think tank International Crisis Group, said the UAE leadership's top priority remains "ensuring that the US has greater interests in the region, not fewer."
Under the Trump administration, the UAE signed a normalization agreement with Israel in September 2020, and in May 2022, the two countries signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This is the first FTA between Israel and an Arab country.
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