United States President Joe Biden recognised the United Arab Emirates as a major defense partner of Washington on Monday after talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on topics that included the war in Gaza and growing Middle East instability.

The US designation — India is the only other country to have been designated as such in 2016 — allows for close military cooperation through joint training, exercises and other collaborative efforts.

Mideast tensions

The development comes at a time when the Middle East region is witnessing some of the most deadly escalations in tensions.

This includes the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza which has killed over 41,000 Palestinians and counting since Hamas’s surprise attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,100 Israelis.

Thousands have also been injured as a result of the ongoing war in the region.

The UAE has been voicing support for Palestine in the United Nation 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 and 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, where Lebanese officials said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 492 people on Monday.

“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 home safely,” he said.

Sudan conflict

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.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris met separately with the UAE leader, but the talks were closed to press, Reuters reported.

“The vice president raised her deep concerns about the conflict in Sudan,” the White House said. “She expressed alarm at the millions of individuals who have been displaced by the war and the atrocities committed by the belligerents against the civilian population.”

India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

Biden and Zayed also discussed the progress of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) — a project launched at the 2023 G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi — underscoring its potential to introduce a “new era of international connectivity”.

This project is expected to “facilitate global trade and clean energy distribution, expand reliable access to electricity, and strengthen telecommunication”, according to The Economic Times.

The project was launched together with the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. 

Once it is completed, it would connect India by ship-to-rail connections through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe through Greece.

At the meeting, both leaders reaffirmed that the corridor will generate economic growth, increase efficiencies, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enable the transformative integration of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, according to a joint statement.