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.