The newspaper’s article argues that the war with Iran has exposed the end of the old formula that governed Gulf-U.S. relations for decades, and that the UAE stands as the clearest example of this shift.
The core idea is that the relationship is no longer defined by oil in exchange for protection. It has become a broader partnership covering investment, technology, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and long-term capital. With Iranian attacks, disruption to shipping, and the declaration of a naval blockade, the question of stability has returned to the center of major economic calculations in the region.
The paper says the UAE’s March 2025 pledge to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States reflects the depth of the two sides’ interlinked interests. But the war also made clear that commitments on this scale ultimately rest on a security and political foundation that cannot be ignored.
Details
• The article, written by researcher Badr Jafar, presents the UAE as the clearest example that the relationship with Washington has become deeper than the traditional security umbrella and closer to a multi-layered strategic partnership.
• It argues that the war has made the economic cost of any regional disruption much more visible, after the region was hit by Iranian missiles and disruptions in energy and shipping.
• The newspaper stresses that the UAE is a strategic partner in shared prosperity across artificial intelligence, semiconductors, clean energy, and future infrastructure.
• It cites figures showing that the UAE has remained the top destination for U.S. exports in the Middle East for 17 consecutive years, and that bilateral trade in 2025 generated a $23.8 billion surplus for the United States.
• It expands the meaning of the partnership beyond trade, into education, healthcare, culture, and technology, from New York University Abu Dhabi to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and advanced technology partnerships.
• It notes that the UAE has borne the cost of the war directly, with its airports, ports, and cities exposed to thousands of strikes, yet it continued to defend the home front, keep its economy open, and maintain its investment commitments.
• The political conclusion of the piece is that the partnership will endure, but managing it through the old mechanisms is no longer enough, because its value has grown too large to leave on autopilot.
What next?
The real test now is whether both sides will reorganize the relationship as a long-term strategic asset, rather than treat it as a legacy understanding inherited from an earlier era.
(Analysis)
What stands out in this reading is that the UAE is presented here as the Gulf state that sees itself as most deeply invested in building the economic order led by the United States, and also as one of the most exposed to the cost of that order being shaken.
In that sense, the war reveals that the nature of the relationship has grown larger than the old formula that once managed it. That is the key shift: the UAE has become the trusted partner in any future regional arrangements.
Source
