United States President Joe Biden recognized the United Arab Emirates as a major defense partner of Washington after talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The development comes at a time when the Middle East region is witnessing some of the most deadly escalations in tensions.
The UAE has been voicing support for Palestine in the United Nations Security Council, putting forward resolutions condemning Israel’s war on Gaza, often putting it at odds with the veto-carrying US, Al Jazeera reported.
However, Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for “urgent, unhindered” humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. They shared their commitment to a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in a statement after their meeting.
At the start of the meeting, Biden said he had been briefed on the latest developments between Israel and Lebanon.
“My team is in constant contact with their counterparts, and we’re working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return to their homes safely,” he said.
The leaders’ joint statement touched on the Gulf state’s involvement in the Sudan conflict, with both stressing that there was no military solution to the war, which has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis.
They also underscored plans to deepen cooperation on space exploration, clean energy and artificial intelligence, where the UAE has launched ambitious plans drawing interest from US geopolitical rival China.
