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Israel has agreed to sell advanced air defense systems to the United Arab Emirates, the first known deal of its kind since their relationship began in 2020, two sources familiar with the matter said.
For some Arab states, the deal reinforces how resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now overshadowed by national priorities such as security and the economy.
Israel and the U.S.-aligned UAE share the ultimate fear of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran denies.
Israel granted a request from the UAE in mid-summer and would supply the Gulf state with the Spyder mobile interceptor made by Rafael, two sources said, declining to provide further details due to the sensitivity of the deal.
A third source said the UAE had acquired Israeli technology capable of countering the drone strikes that hit Abu Dhabi earlier this year.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense and Spyder maker Rafael declined to comment. The UAE foreign ministry had no comment.
It’s unclear how many interceptors, which are mounted on vehicles to defend against short-to-long-range threats, will be offered, or whether they have been shipped so far.
Asked if Israel was supplying the UAE with air defence systems, Ram bin-Barak, chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs and defence committee, told Israel Radio on Sept. 20 that there was extensive cooperation with the UAE, but declined to comment further.
attack
The need to bolster the UAE’s air defences has grown following a series of missile and drone strikes against the Gulf state in January and February. Most of the attacks were intercepted, but one strike killed three civilians in Abu Dhabi.
Foreign diplomats say the strike has upset leaders of the UAE, which has long touted its security and stability in a troubled region. A terminal under construction at Abu Dhabi Airport was also attacked, injuring civilian workers, sources with knowledge of the attack said.
Sources said at least some missiles and drones were flying at low altitudes to evade detection by the US-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot interceptors in the UAE.
Spyder can protect large areas from threats such as drones, cruise missiles, attack aircraft, helicopters and bombers, including low-altitude threats, Rafael said.
President Isaac Herzog, who was intercepted during a visit to the UAE in January, said Israel supports the UAE’s security needs. Last week, Prime Minister Yar Rapid said he was shocked by the attack and that Israel stood with the UAE.
Most of the strikes have been claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, and the UAE has been fighting the war in Yemen as part of a Saudi-led military coalition seeking to restore the ousted government.
The interceptor deal was reached in midsummer, when the U.S. and Israel were pushing for Arab states to link their air defenses to better defend against Iranian drone and missile attacks, the sources said.
The proposal was resisted by some Arab countries with no ties to Israel, Reuters reported in July, although an Israeli official said partner countries were synchronizing the system through long-range electronic communications.
Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told reporters in July that the UAE would consider any measures to protect the country from drone and missile attacks, as long as it was defensive and not aimed at a third country.
Gulf state Bahrain also established ties with Israel in 2020, and the two countries later signed a security agreement. Israel and the UAE signed a free trade agreement this year; Israel is the first to have an Arab country. Negotiations with Bahrain began this week.
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