The U.S.-UAE relationship is fundamentally very strong, as is any relationship that is based on shared values and objectives. In the case of the UAE and the United States, these shared objectives include stability in the Arabian Gulf and broader Middle East, the unhindered flow of oil and gas, commercial relationships based on free trade and open investment, and a shared desire to reduce the appeal of extremism – religious or otherwise. As this list of shared objectives suggests, security issues play an important role in the bilateral relationship and, in light of regional tensions, will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

General Tommy Franks, former Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), recognized the important role that the UAE plays in promoting peace and stability in the region. He has stated, “I personally believe that we have had no greater ally in seeking a resolution of problems in the Middle East, the Palestinian issue, the Israeli issue, than we have found in the United Arab Emirates.”

For more than a decade, the Defense Cooperation Agreement of 1994 between the two nations has formed the basis for subsequent military cooperation and

Lockheed Martin F-16

coordination. Under this Agreement, the UAE has participated in joint military training exercises with U.S. forces and offered U.S. forces access to UAE ports and territory. In 2006, U.S. naval vessels made more than 600 visits to UAE ports, more than to any other country outside the United States.

The U.S. Air Force has enjoyed liberal access to over-flight clearances and logistical assistance, including support for the Iraq no-fly zones authorized after 1991 by the United Nations. UAE forces have supported U.S., UN and NATO operations in Afghanistan, Somalia and Kosovo, and UAE forces also played a key peacekeeping role in Lebanon as far back as 1978 under the auspices of the Arab League.

U.S. firms have been major players in the UAE’s efforts to maintain and upgrade its defense capabilities. Lockheed Martin Corporation, for example, has worked closely with the UAE Government to provide solutions to its defense needs, such as the F-16 fighter plane. Raytheon has had a presence in the UAE for decades and has been a key provider of UAE air defense systems since 1980.

The UAE is very cognizant of U.S. security concerns. Dubai was the first Middle East entity to join America’s Container Security Initiative, a program designed to protect global shipping trade from acts of terrorism. Under that program, U.S. Customs Officers are stationed inside Dubai’s ports. The fact that the UAE so strongly shares U.S. security concerns – and has gone out of its way to cooperate with U.S. officials – makes it particularly ironic that DP World’s attempts to manage and upgrade container terminals at six U.S. ports were thwarted by protectionist sentiments in the U.S. Congress and unseemly Arab bashing in the American media. The UAE-U.S. partnership to promote security in the region is based on shared values and objectives. On May 6, 2007, H.H.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE Defense Minister and Ruler of Dubai, put it this way: “We have to work towards becoming a strong nation, with security and stability guaranteed for its people. In our march to becoming a powerful civilization protecting peace and coexistence, we need to safeguard our own sovereignty. We will always promote dialogue between civilizations in our endeavor to create a single world where justice and equality will rule.”