During President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf, the US and United Arab Emirates signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) formalizing the establishment of a “comprehensive U.S.-UAE Major Defense Partnership.”. The LOI was signed by UAE’s Minister of State for Defense Affairs Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to a May 16 joint statement. The agreement follows an initial September announcement by the Biden administration, designating the UAE as a major defense partner. “This LOI represents a shared commitment to develop a structured roadmap that will guide enhanced military-to-military cooperation, joint capability development, and long-term defense alignment between the two nations,” the statement said, adding that both sides will “explore a phased framework for advancing bilateral force readiness, interoperability, and innovation-driven collaboration.”
US and UAE ink agreement formalizing Major Defense Partnership – Breaking Defense
