BEIRUT — Washington’s recent decision to significantly ease export controls for the UAE should give a boost to the Emirates’ domestic production of high-tech drones and other military hardware, thanks to more available dual-use tech like computer chips, analysts told Breaking Defense.
The US Commerce Department announced on July 10 that the Emiratis will be upgraded to the A:5 export country group, making the UAE the first Arab state — and the second Middle Eastern state after Israel — to be granted the coveted status.
“They’ll have much cleaner and easier access to dual-use technology and other technologies with defense implications,” Michael Horowitz, a former senior Pentagon official who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, told Breaking Defense. “While munitions are governed by the US munitions list, controlled by the State Department, the decision by the Commerce Department will make UAE access to American technology substantially easier.”
Experts who spoke to Breaking Defense don’t expect this new designation to change the status quo of the major F-35 deal to the UAE that was stalled due to US concerns over Abu Dhabi’s use of China’s Huawei 5G network in the country. Nor should it impact MQ-9 Reaper exports to Abu Dhabi. Both of those deals are regulated by International Traffic in Arms Regulations and enforced by the US State Department.
