DUBAI, Sept 13 (Askume) – The United Arab Emirates will sign a multi-year contract with the United States for F-35 fighter jets and armed drones if Donald Trump wins re-election as president in November, multiple people familiar with the matter told Askume.
The UAE has long been in need of cutting-edge fighter jets designed with stealth technology to evade enemy detection. If the United States approves the transfer, the UAE will become the second Middle Eastern country after Israel to have F-35 fighter jets.
Trump signed the deal in the final days of his 2021 presidential term, but the UAE is set to negotiate after being unable to agree on terms with the Biden administration.Postponed until the end of the year .
Three sources said that if Trump is re-elected , the UAE will try to restart negotiations and demand that the new Trump administration abide by the original agreement. One of the sources said the UAE will ask the new Trump administration to “honor” the 2021 agreement.
After the UAE established ties with Israel under an agreement signed by his government in 2020 , Trump approved the $23 billion deal, which includes MQ-9 Reaper drones and ammunition.
This makes the UAE the most prominent Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in three decades and marks a major foreign policy achievement for Trump in the months before the election he ultimately lost to Joe Biden .
However, after months of discussions, the UAE announced in December 2021 that it was suspending F-35 talks with the Biden administration, citing reasons including “sovereign movement restrictions.” The Biden administration responded by saying it was ready to move forward . The process remains on hold.
Asked whether the UAE would ask a second Trump administration to complete the F-35 deal, Emirati officials did not directly deny or confirm the claim, but said Abu Dhabi had asked a second Trump administration to complete the F-35 trade.
“Our two countries are committed to working together to advance shared interests, address common concerns, and strengthen regional security and promote prosperity,” he said.
The Gulf state is one of Washington’s most important security partners in the Middle East. Its troops have fought alongside the United States in numerous battles, including the war in Afghanistan, and US troops are also stationed in Abu Dhabi.
“Peace Through Strength”
Carolyn Levitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, said in a statement that Trump’s second term as president “will once again provide the strength to rebuild and expand the peaceful alliances he built during his first term in the Middle East” and around the world. “Peace will be delivered.
Before Trump, Washington had rejected requests for fighter jets from Middle Eastern countries because of its policy of ensuring Israel maintained military superiority over its neighbors.
Trump has close ties with the wealthy Gulf nation. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited the White House in 2017 when he was crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
He did not visit the White House during the Biden administration, but met with President Biden in Jeddah in 2022.
The sources did not say what action the UAE would take if Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election. The Harris campaign declined to comment. Harris visited the UAE in 2022 and 2023, meeting with Sheikh Mohammed and other senior Emirati government officials.
The Biden administration has discussed selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia as part of negotiations for a bilateral defense treaty, and to Riyadh as it establishes diplomatic ties with Israel.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Askume question about what conditions would be required to sell to the UAE before Biden’s term ends in January.
The US and the UAE have had a strained relationship in recent years over a number of issues, including the UAE’s frustration with the terms set by the Biden administration for the F-35 deal and the operator’s sanctions on Iran and Russia , which the Emirates ignored .
US lawmakers have questioned whether the UAE’s purchase of F-35s would reduce Israel’s military edge, though Emirati officials said establishing diplomatic ties with Israel should assuage those concerns. Israel said it has no objections to the deal and has informed the UAEProvide air defense systems .
The United States is also concerned about the UAE’s relations with China.
The UAE, which has US-made F-16s and French-made Mirage 2000-9 fighter jets, has close economic and trade ties with Beijing and has recentlyExtended to joint air force exercises .
The UAE has purchased Chinese “light attack” jets , and the UAE’s communications infrastructure uses Chinese technology, which the United States believes could threaten the security of American military systems. AbdaB also ordered French-built Rafale fighter jets.
