[4] Despite that, the US officials said that extensive Chinese presence in the UAE could also endanger the planned $23 billion deal of F-35 fighter jets, Reaper drones and other advanced munitions.

[6] Two UAE-based firms have been named in a criminal complaint for the violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) committed by a dual US-Iran citizen, Kambiz Attar Kashani.

On the other hand, the UAE was also building ties with China, as the air forces of both the countries were planning to conduct a training together for the first time in August 2023.

The UAE started to establish a stronger foreign policy following the Arab Spring uprisings, when it assisted other regional powers by sending military and arms.

Meanwhile, Dubai was seen benefitting from the American and European efforts to isolate the Russia economy, as Switzerland's sanctions on Moscow pushed oil traders to shift from Geneva to the UAE.

[14] On 20 September 2024, five lawmakers, including Pramila Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Ilhan Omar, Daniel Kildee, and Sara Jacobs, sent a letter to White House and called upon the Biden administration to raise concerns with the UAE over its involvement in the Sudan conflict.

Biden's designation of the Emirates was also questioned over the UAE's increasing economic foothold in Africa, and its “secret” support to the RSF militia in the Sudan war.

[18] US prosecutors in 2016 alleged that Dubai-based Gunes General Trading carried out suspicious transactions totalling $142 million, using the UAE financial system during 2011 and 2012, the BBC found and reported on 20 September 2020.

U.S. prosecutors accused the Dubai-based trading firm of being part of a network that was under the control of a Turkish-Iranian gold trader, Reza Zarrab.

The network allegedly coordinated the transaction worth millions of dollars for the Iranian government and other US-sanctioned entities belonging to Iran.

[19] On 19 August 2020, the Trump administration sanctioned two companies registered in the United Arab Emirates over their work for an Iranian airline, Mahan Air.

The airline has been subject to U.S. counter-terrorism sanctions since 2019 for its support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the State Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

[20] In June 2024, seven UAE-based companies faced “blocked pending investigation action” (BPI) by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for violating US sanctions on Sudan.

[21] In 2024, it was reported that the UAE seeks closer economic ties with the U.S. as part of its strategy to invest in emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

[31] On 4 February 2019, a CNN investigation found out that the U.S. weapons, which were sold to UAE and Saudi Arabia, ended up in the hands of al Qaeda fighters, hardline Salafi militias and other militants waging war in Yemen.

[33] On 26 February 2019, U.S. president Donald Trump publicly thanked the United Arab Emirates on his Twitter for the UAE's effort in rescuing Danny Burch, a U.S. citizen who was held in captivity for 18 months by militants in Yemen.

Amnesty International has visited and investigated dozens of sites in eight governorates, targeted in UAE air strikes as part of the Saudi-led coalition, and repeatedly found remnants of munitions manufactured by the United States.

[37] On 10 November 2020, Donald Trump’s administration formally notified the Congress regarding the pending sale of 50 stealth F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, as a part of the US’ broad arms deal worth $23 billion.

The F-35 sale to the UAE raised concerns, as its military capability was already one of the most advanced in the Middle East, which was evident in the Emirates’ involvement in active conflict zones like Yemen, Syria and Libya.

According to the letter the key reason to demand blocking this deal was the civilian casualties caused by the UAE's intervention in Libya and Yemen.

[47] In December 2021, the United Arab Emirates unilaterally suspended talks with the US regarding the procurement, stating that technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions, and cost/benefit analysis led to the re-assessment and suspension of the deal.

[49] In February 2023, the US administration put pressure on the UAE’s and Egypt’s government to pursue the military leaders of Libya and Sudan to expel the Wagner Group from their regions.

In January 2023, the US government had expanded sanctions on Russia's Wagner Group, along with related companies and individuals, including some in Central African Republic and the United Arab Emirates.

[56] The New York Times reported that as a result, Mozilla rejected Abu Dhabi-based cybersecurity firm DarkMatter – linked to Project Raven – from administering online website security certificates.

[58] In November 2022, the U.S. intelligence compiled a classified report detailing extensive efforts by the UAE to steer U.S. foreign policy in its favor and manipulate the American political system, through a series of legal and illegal exploits.

A Republican staffer on the House Foreign Affairs Committee stated that the deal could transfer crucial technology to “a country that is not our best friend, has close ties to China [and] has a mixed human rights record.”[61] The US National Intelligence Council (NIC) was entrusted to investigate and corroborate Beijing's growing involvement with the Emirati AI group, G42.

John Moolenaar and Michael McCaul wrote a letter to the White House, asking the analytics branch of Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to evaluate on risks involved in transfer of US technology to China via the partnership.

[62] In July 2024, Yousef Al Otaiba "personally intervened" to cancel the meetings between G42 and the US Congressional staffers, over concerns raised by the US lawmakers that the UAE could transfer advanced American AI technology to China.

The House Select Committee on China concerns around the G42-Microsoft deal also amplified following the UAE's refusal to meet and discuss these matters with congressional staff.

The canceled meetings signaled diplomatic fallout that followed the Congress’ scrutiny of the G42-Microsoft deal and fear of American AI technology reaching China.