Senior UAE scholar says US bases are 'a burden and not a strategic asset'

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.

Read more: Senior UAE scholar says US bases are 'a burden and not a strategic asset'