Experts Expect US Arms Sales to UAE to Soar After Israel Deal

UAE is already a substantial customer

With US officials hyping the historic Israel-UAE peace deal, experts say it could easily lead to a surge in US arms sales to the UAE, as it will open up more willingness to sign off on such deals.

Which isn’t to say that the US doesn’t already sell a substantial amount of arms to the UAE as it is. Congress questions such moves, however, and has even tried to block them on some occasions over Yemen war crimes.

And while that’s never been an obstacle for the administration, Congress may find the environment has changed, especially if Israel is suddenly inclined to go to bat for them in lobbying efforts, something Trump will likely emphasize.

The most controversial arms sales are usually the priciest, and the UAE is often in line to buy the newest, most expensive US arms. Being buddy buddy with Israel has been shown by nations like Egypt to work in the past, and may well help with deals here.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.