UAE: Emirati and Israeli firms sign defence deal at Dubai Air Show to jointly develop USVs

Months after normalising their bilateral ties, Israel and UAE have further stepped up cooperation by inking a defence deal. On Thursday, top Israeli and Emirati defence firms signed two agreements to jointly develop remote-controlled and autonomous vehicles as well as to maintain and sell advanced cameras for military and commercial purposes. As per a report by the Times of Israel, the deal was finalised during the Dubai Air Show, a weapons exhibition which for the first time in history, witnessed zionist participation.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and EDGE group signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday. Under the first MoU, UAE would create a joint centre that would market the Israeli Firm’s “advanced electro-optic arrays.” Meanwhile, the second MoU entailed the creation of unmanned surface vehicles for both military and commercial purposes. It is worth mentioning that apart from IAI and EDGE, five other Israeli firms also marked their presence at the exhibition. 

Announcing the deal in a statement, IAI said, "Today, EDGE, an advanced technology company for defense and beyond, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's leading aerospace and defense manufacturer, to jointly design a first-in-class series of 17m unmanned surface vessels (USV) for the entire range of military and commercial applications." 

The deal comes months after the signing of Abraham Accords 

Notably, the deal comes months after both the mid-eastern countries signed the US-brokered Abraham Accords, ending decades of animosity and conflict. "The Government of the United Arab Emirates and the Government of the State of Israel (hereinafter, the “Parties”)…" read the historic peace agreement declaration. The 7-page long document emphasised the belief that the normalisation of Israeli and Emirati relations is in the interest of both peoples and contributes to the cause of peace in the Middle East and ultimately the world. Expressing deep appreciation for the commitment towards normalisation, the declaration primarily focused on points, including recognition of sovereignty and setting up Embassies; Business and cultural cooperation in the form of education, energy, maritime security, telecommunications, agriculture and food safety, tourism, sports, healthcare, water and legal cooperation; Mutual understanding and co-existence. 

Image: Israel Aerospace Industries