Relationship dossier
United Arab Emirates
United States
Relationship assessment
Close security and economic partners, with periodic friction over China, arms sales, and regional policy.
United Arab Emirates toward United States
+65The UAE has hosted U.S. forces and cooperated with the United States on regional security and defense. The UAE also joined the Abraham Accords in 2020, establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and supporting a regional framework aligned with U.S. diplomacy. UAE cooperation with China and disagreement over some U.S. arms conditions have at times complicated the partnership.
United States toward United Arab Emirates
+65The United States has maintained a substantial security partnership with the UAE, including defense cooperation and the use of UAE facilities by U.S. forces. It has pursued arms sales and broader security cooperation with the UAE, while imposing conditions and raising concerns connected to UAE ties with China. The United States supported the diplomatic process that led to the UAE-Israel Abraham Accords in 2020.
Overall relationship
+65The relationship is anchored by durable security cooperation, UAE hosting of U.S. forces, and substantial economic ties. The 2020 Abraham Accords added a significant diplomatic element. Cooperation has nevertheless faced recurring friction over UAE engagement with China, U.S. arms-sale conditions, and differences on regional and oil policy; these issues complicate but have not displaced the broader partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The United Arab Emirates and the United States maintain a close security and economic partnership. The UAE hosts U.S. forces and cooperates with the United States on regional security, while the two governments have pursued defense cooperation and substantial commercial ties. The 2020 Abraham Accords added a regional diplomatic dimension to their relationship. Disagreements over UAE ties with China, arms arrangements, and oil policy have periodically complicated cooperation.
Areas of tension
- UAE cooperation with China, including Chinese telecommunications and security links, has raised U.S. concerns.
- Disagreements over conditions and implementation of proposed U.S. advanced weapons sales to the UAE.
- Differences over oil production policy and UAE coordination with OPEC+.
- Divergent approaches to some regional conflicts and security priorities.
Key developments
The UAE and Israel signed the Abraham Accords, formalizing diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered agreement.
The United States and the UAE announced an agreement for the UAE to purchase F-35 aircraft and other advanced systems; the UAE later suspended discussions over the terms.
The UAE has hosted U.S. forces at facilities including Al Dhafra Air Base as part of the countries' security cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The long-term scope of U.S. defense commitments to the UAE is unclear.
- The status and implementation of proposed advanced weapons sales, including the F-35 arrangement, remain uncertain.
- The extent to which disagreements over China and regional policy will affect security cooperation is unclear.