Report claims UAE quietly backs $2.3 billion Israel arms deal
Report claims UAE linked to USD 2.3 billion Israel arms deal, raising questions over regional ties and diplomacy.
This development signals a notable change in how Middle East arms deals are perceived and politically framed.
The United Arab Emirates is emerging as the likely “mystery” client behind a USD 2.3 billion arms deal with Israeli military technology company Elbit Systems, according to a report by French publication Intelligence Online. Israeli media outlets have since echoed the claim, adding weight to growing speculation around one of the largest defence transactions in Israel’s history.
Elbit Systems announced the deal on November 17, describing it as the biggest contract the company has ever secured. Valued at USD 2.3 billion, the agreement involves supplying advanced weapons systems to an unnamed international customer over the next eight years. At the time, both parties signed a strict confidentiality agreement, and an Israeli media gag order ensured that the client’s identity remained undisclosed, fuelling intense curiosity across defence and diplomatic circles.
The French report suggests that the UAE is the buyer, a claim that Israeli media have now reiterated. If confirmed, the deal would mark a significant moment in Middle Eastern geopolitics, reflecting how rapidly regional alliances and defence relationships have evolved in recent years. Shortly after the agreement was signed, Elbit informed the stock exchange that the contract involved providing a “strategic solution for an international customer,” without offering further details.
Concerns have also been raised within Israel itself. According to Israeli tech and startup news outlet Calcalist Tech, the transaction could potentially erode Israel’s traditional military edge in the region, given the highly advanced and sensitive systems reportedly at the heart of the deal. Such concerns highlight the delicate balance Israel has historically maintained when exporting cutting-edge military technology, particularly within its own neighbourhood.
The reported deal cannot be separated from the broader transformation in UAE–Israel relations. For decades, the UAE, like many Arab nations, had no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, largely due to Israel’s military actions in Palestine. Any engagement between the two countries remained limited and discreet, with cooperation largely confined to neutral platforms such as renewable energy initiatives, including Israel’s participation in the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), based in Abu Dhabi.
That dynamic shifted dramatically in 2020 with the signing of the Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States. Through the agreement, the UAE formally normalised diplomatic relations with Israel, opening the door to cooperation across trade, technology, security, and defence. Since then, ties have deepened rapidly, with both countries exchanging ambassadors and expanding economic partnerships. In a symbolic move, the UAE recently purchased land in Israel to build a permanent embassy, becoming the first Gulf nation to own land there for diplomatic purposes.
Despite the intensifying relationship, neither the UAE nor Israel has officially confirmed the report linking Abu Dhabi to the arms deal. The silence has only added to speculation, particularly given the deal’s scale and strategic implications.
Notably, even after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, the two nations have continued to maintain formal diplomatic and economic relations. If the UAE is indeed the client behind this landmark arms agreement, it would underscore how strategic interests and long-term alliances continue to shape regional decisions, even amid profound political and humanitarian tensions.