Israel-UAE relations: from the Abraham Accords to military cooperation
Editor’s note: Moses Becker is a special political commentator for News.Az. He holds a PhD in political science and specialises in inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of News.Az.
The American-Israeli conflict with Iran has fundamentally changed the situation in the Middle East. Following the trajectory that began with the Abraham Accords signed in 2020, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have concluded that there is a need to strengthen their alliance through closer military cooperation.
In response to the aggressive actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly the missile attack on the port of Fujairah, the UAE leadership appears to have concluded that no one else would protect the country from Tehran’s expansionist ambitions. According to Bloomberg, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a rare phone call. Netanyahu expressed solidarity with the UAE and support for “all measures they are taking to ensure their security”. This was the first official contact between the two leaders since the beginning of 2023.
Earlier, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed criticised the Gulf Cooperation Council for not taking a tougher stance against Iran. The UAE intends to strengthen its ties with Israel and the United States, which became one of the reasons behind the country’s withdrawal from OPEC. Iran, in turn, accused the Emirates of violating the principles of good-neighbourly relations.
Apparently, the Islamic Republic was alarmed by the UAE's expanding its presence in the global defence sector. The Emirati defence conglomerate EDGE Group acquired a 30 per cent stake in the Israeli company ThirdEye Systems, which specialises in artificial intelligence technologies and autonomous security systems.
In an interview, Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, head of a political research centre in the UAE, emphasised that investments in Israel’s defence sector correspond to the country’s long-term interests. Since then, the two countries have actively developed partnerships in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and unmanned systems.
Source: carnegieendowment
EDGE is considered the largest weapons manufacturer in the UAE and is state-owned. In 2021, it was announced that the company, together with Israel Aerospace Industries, would develop unmanned naval vessels. Cooperation with Israel gives the UAE access to advanced military technologies that were previously unavailable to Arab states. These include artificial intelligence and autonomous security systems, unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance and patrol missions, as well as surveillance and analytics technologies based on machine learning.
Against the backdrop of growing cooperation between the two countries, media reports in recent years have suggested that Israeli officials, with UAE support, even considered establishing an intelligence base on the island of Socotra, located at the entrance to the Red Sea, about 400 kilometres south of Yemen.
Economic ties between Israel and the UAE also remain strong despite public criticism by the Emirates of Israeli government actions in Gaza and Lebanon. In 2023, trade between Israel and the UAE reached $2.95 billion.
At the same time, while effectively leading the process of Arab-Israeli normalisation under the Abraham Accords, the UAE insists that such cooperation does not contradict its principled position supporting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as its commitment to UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
On 26 April 2026, in an effort to strengthen the UAE’s defence capabilities, Israel deployed the Iron Dome system in the country. In addition, advanced weapons systems, including the cutting-edge Iron Beam laser system, were urgently delivered to help protect the Emirates from Iranian missiles and drones, according to the Financial Times, citing sources.
Alongside the laser system, Israel supplied the UAE with the lightweight Spectro surveillance system, capable of detecting approaching drones, including Shahed drones, at distances of up to 20 kilometres.
Faisal Al Bannai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of EDGE, stated that the project was intended to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s advanced technology portfolio and regional partnerships, adding that the agreement was aligned with the recently concluded normalisation accords between the two countries.
In an effort to secure greater independence and freedom of manoeuvre, UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei told Reuters that the decision to withdraw from OPEC had been made after a thorough review of the country’s energy strategy.
When asked whether the UAE had consulted Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of OPEC, Al Mazrouei replied that the Emirates had not discussed the issue with any other country.
“This is a political decision made after a careful review of current and future policies regarding production levels,” the minister said.
According to Al Mazrouei, the move would not have a significant impact on the oil market.
Source: britannica
Oil and gas producers from Gulf countries that are members of OPEC are already experiencing difficulties exporting resources through the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world’s oil supplies passed before the conflict with Iran. The UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC could be viewed as a victory for US President Donald Trump, who accused the organisation of “deceiving the rest of the world” through inflated oil prices.
OPEC was founded in 1960 by five countries: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Its purpose was to coordinate oil production in order to ensure stable revenues for member states. Over the years, the number of member countries has changed, but in addition to the five founding states, the organisation also includes Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria and the Republic of the Congo.
Leaving the organisation allows the UAE to increase its market share and benefit from rising oil prices.
Several days before the scheduled 3 May OPEC+ meeting, the UAE announced that it would leave both OPEC+ and OPEC effective from 1 May. In February 2026, the UAE produced 3.64 million barrels of oil per day, slightly more than 12 per cent of total OPEC production, which stood at 29.82 million barrels per day, or around 3.5 per cent of global production.
The withdrawal of such a major producer as the UAE, which was producing 3.5 million barrels per day, could become a factor capable of undermining at least OPEC+.
Apparently, the UAE leadership concluded that amid the rapid replacement of internal combustion engines by electric vehicles and the possible expansion of alternative energy sources, it was necessary to maximise short-term revenues in order to accelerate the transformation of the country’s economic model towards high-technology sectors.
(If you possess specialized knowledge and wish to contribute, please reach out to us at opinions@news.az).
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