Senior UAE scholar says US bases are 'a burden and not a strategic asset'
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Mon, 04/20/2026 - 10:18
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla says it's time to think about closing US bases as UAE 'no longer needs' Washington to defend it
French pilots stand at the air base of Al Dhafra, near Abu Dhabi, which jointly shared between France, the US and the UAE, on 20 December 2025 (AFP/Ludovic Marin)
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It is time for the UAE to consider closing US bases as they are “a burden and not a strategic asset”, a senior Emirati commentator connected to the kingdom's leadership has said.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent academic, made the comments on X on Sunday evening, repeating remarks he had given to Reuters.
“The UAE no longer needs America to defend it, as it has proven during the Iranian aggression that it is capable of defending itself with distinction,” Abdulla wrote.
“What the UAE needs is to acquire only the best and latest weapons that America has. Therefore, it is time to think about closing the American bases, as they are a burden and not a strategic asset.”
The US has at least 19 sites - eight of which are considered to be permanent - across the Middle East, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Before the war, there were around 40,000 American troops in the region, according to defence officials.
The Emirates is home to 3,500 of those troops, as well as al-Dhafra airbase, a site shared between the US, France and the Emiratis.
Since the war began on 28 February with Israeli and US attacks on Iran, Tehran has responded by striking Israel as well as Gulf countries.
The UAE has been hit particularly hard, with hundreds of drone and missile strikes. By late March, Iran had launched 398 ballistic missiles, 1,872 drones and 15 cruise missiles at the Emirates.
The UAE is facing its most serious economic shock in decades as a result of the war. The country’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism, real estate, logistics and finance.
More than $120bn has reportedly been wiped from market capitalisation on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges in the last few weeks. Over 18,400 flights have also been cancelled.
By the end of March, Dubai’s real estate index had fallen by at least 16 percent since the war started.
While most attacks on the Emirates were intercepted, debris still caused damage in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, including at the Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai airport and the Fujairah oil industrial zone.
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