Emirati Companies Withdraw from the World Defense Exhibition in Riyadh: When Weapon Platforms Become Political Tools

On February 9, 2026, the World Defense Exhibition opened its doors in Riyadh amidst a heavy international presence of major Western and Asian arms manufacturers. However, the most notable absence was not a distant country, but the closest neighbor: Emirati companies were completely absent from the largest defense exhibition in the region.

According to Reuters, about 30 Emirati companies were registered as participants in the exhibition, but none attended. The more ironic aspect: the space allocated to EDGE Group – the largest arms manufacturer in Abu Dhabi – was turned into a café.

From Allies to Adversaries: Dissecting the Saudi-Emirati Relationship

Militarily, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were supposed to be one force. They allied together in the Qatar blockade in 2017 and launched a joint war in Yemen since 2015. Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed were seen as a reformist duo in the region.

But cracks began to widen since 2019, when the UAE started its gradual withdrawal from Yemen. In December 2025, Saudi forces launched a counterattack in Yemen against UAE-backed forces, the clearest sign that the alliance was no longer intact.

Any military personnel who served in the region knows that trust between armies is not built on arms contracts, but on joint training and daily communication. When defense companies withdraw from an exhibition like this, the message is clear: there is no longer a shared military future.

The Dispute Over Israel: The Battle for Influence in Washington

Behind the scenes, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are engaged in another battle in Washington. According to a report released on February 12 by Middle East Eye, the UAE has pressured pro-Israel American Jewish groups – such as the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – to issue statements accusing Saudi Arabia of "anti-Semitism."

The reason? Saudi Arabia refused to normalize relations with Israel after the Gaza war, while the UAE maintained its close ties with Tel Aviv even after the killing of over 72,000 Palestinians. In December 2025, Israel recognized the independence of Somaliland – where the UAE has a strategic military base.

The UAE is trying to use the Abraham Accords as a political weapon against Saudi Arabia. But in practice, this attempt reveals the fragility of those accords: they were designed to serve the interests of Israel and the UAE, not to build genuine peace.

Trade as a Casualty: $22 Billion at Risk

The withdrawal from the Riyadh exhibition is not just a symbolic step. According to Bloomberg reports, Emirati companies have faced difficulties obtaining Saudi visas in recent months. The volume of trade between the two countries is $22 billion annually – which is now under threat.

Who benefits from this dispute? Turkey, which is getting closer to Saudi Arabia. Qatar, which quietly ended its blockade. Even Iran – which was the common enemy of Saudi Arabia and the UAE – is watching closely as the Gulf alliance collapses.

When the Arms Exhibition Becomes a Battleground

The World Defense Exhibition in Riyadh was supposed to be a platform to showcase Saudi ambitions in local military manufacturing. But the absence of the UAE turned it into a diplomatic scandal.

• EDGE Group – which manufactures drones, air defense systems, and smart munitions – is completely absent.
• Tawazun and other major Emirati companies – did not attend.
• Even small Emirati companies specializing in military communication systems – disappeared from the lists.

In my view, this is not a commercial decision but a purely political one. Emirati companies are being used as leverage, just as the Abraham Accords were.

The Military Lesson: Fragile Interdependence

This situation reveals a structural weakness in the Gulf defense model. Saudi Arabia and the UAE built their armies on the assumption of eternal cooperation. Now, as the relationship turns into competition – and perhaps hostility – each country is discovering that it lacks the independent capacity to face regional threats.

Saudi Arabia is trying to build a local defense industry through SAMI and others. The UAE has invested billions in EDGE. But in practice, both still rely on Western technology, foreign expertise, and imported spare parts.

True military capability is not measured by the number of weapons purchased, but by the ability to use them independently. The Saudi-Emirati dispute reveals that the region is still far from this goal.

Conclusion: The Disintegration of the Alliance, the Disintegration of Deterrence

The World Defense Exhibition 2026 will be remembered not for what was displayed, but for who was absent. The absence of the UAE is not just a commercial boycott, but a declaration of the end of an era of Gulf cooperation.

Iran is watching. Turkey is advancing. Israel is benefiting from the division. And Western countries are selling arms to both sides.

Gulf armies are filled with the latest weapons, but they are politically divided. In the region, division means weakness – regardless of the size of the defense budget.