Senior UAE scholar says US bases are 'a burden and not a strategic asset'

Senior UAE scholar says US bases are 'a burden and not a strategic asset' Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 04/20/2026 - 10:18 Abdulkhaleq Abdulla says it's time to think about closing US bases as UAE 'no longer needs' Washington to defend it French pilots stand at the air base of Al Dhafra, near Abu Dhabi, which jointly shared between France, the US and the UAE, on 20 December 2025 (AFP/Ludovic Marin) Off It is time for the UAE to consider closing US bases as they are “a burden and not a strategic asset”, a senior Emirati commentator connected to the kingdom's leadership has said. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent academic, made the comments on X on Sunday evening, repeating remarks he had given to Reuters. “The UAE no longer needs America to defend it, as it has proven during the Iranian aggression that it is capable of defending itself with distinction,” Abdulla wrote.