The UAE Signals a Strategic Realignment as Trump Returns to Office

A cornerstone of Donald Trump’s foreign policy during his first U.S. presidency was the utilisation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a fulcrum by which he could leverage back China’s growing influence in the Middle East. Through a related energy policy connected to India, he also hoped to counteract Beijing’s increasing dominance in Asia. When the UAE became the first major Arab state to sign an Abraham Accords peace agreement with Israel (brokered by the U.S.) on 13 August 2020, Trump’s Middle East strategy appeared…