Fallout from Iran War: Arab Expert Says UAE No Longer Needs US, Bases Are a Burden, Not a Strategic Asset

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considered to be at a point where it should contemplate closing US bases. According to a senior UAE observer with ties to the kingdom, these bases represent a burden and not a strategic asset.

Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent academic, made these comments on X, reiterating statements he had given to Reuters.

“The UAE no longer needs America to defend it, as it has been proven during the Iranian aggression that the UAE is capable of defending itself brilliantly,” wrote Abdulla, as cited by the MEE website on Monday (20/4/2026).

“What the UAE needs is only to obtain the best and newest weapons that America possesses. Therefore, it is time to consider closing the American bases, because these bases are a burden and not a strategic asset.”

The US has at least 19 locations—eight of which are considered permanent—across the Middle East, according to a Council on Foreign Relations report. Before the war, there were around 40,000 American troops at these bases.

The UAE is home to 3,500 US troops, as well as the al-Dhafra air base, a jointly used facility by the US, France, and the UAE.

Nadim Koteich, a prominent UAE-based commentator and former media executive, expressed his disagreement with Abdulla’s position on X.

“Washington has proven to be a reliable ally in every important field, and nothing is more evident than during this war,” said Koteich.

“However, reducing the relationship to only its military and security dimensions misinterprets what the alliance has truly become and leads to hasty conclusions.”

He stated that Washington has chosen the UAE as its preferred partner in the region in terms of technology and industry.