UAE and Israel established fund for joint defence acquisition, sources say

UAE and Israel established fund for joint defence acquisition, sources say Submitted by Sean Mathews on Mon, 05/18/2026 - 17:33 The emerging partnership between Israel and the UAE puts the Gulf state at odds with its neighbours A visitor looks through the scope of a sniper rifle during the International Defence Exhibition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, on 20 February 2023 (Ryan Lim/AFP) Off The UAE and Israel have established a fund to jointly acquire and develop new weapons systems, in the latest sign that the war on Iran is bringing the countries closer together, one current and one former US official briefed on the matter told Middle East Eye. The current US official told MEE the two countries would pursue “joint acquisitions” of weapons systems as part of the new defence partnership. The UAE could also fund technological developments in Israeli air defence systems, the person added. The agreement was cemented when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE during the US-Israeli war on Iran, the official said. Netanyahu’s office issued an official statement regarding the visit, which sparked a rare denial from Abu Dhabi. The UAE and Israeli embassies in Washington did not respond to MEE’s requests for comment by the time of publication of this article. The US official added that the UAE and Israel were looking to jointly acquire and develop Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) and other air defence systems. The former US official told MEE that “a lot of money” has been allocated to the fund and that purchases would likely extend beyond air defence.  “The UAE-Israel relationship is the best it's ever been. This is the closest coopera...

Original source: Middle East Eye