Emirati Firms Withdraw from Saudi World Defense Show Amid Rising Gulf Tensions
Several United Arab Emirates defence companies pull out of Riyadh event as strategic and geopolitical rifts with Saudi Arabia extend into business engagements
Several prominent Emirati defence companies have withdrawn from the World Defense Show in Riyadh, reflecting deepening tensions between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia that are spilling over from geopolitics into the commercial and security sectors.
Exhibitors including units linked to UAE government defence groups were listed to participate in the event, which runs from February eight to twelve, but the expected Emirati presence was largely absent on the show floor, causing surprise among industry attendees.
Analysts see the move as a signal of broader strategic discomfort between the two Gulf powers.
The withdrawals come against the backdrop of a deteriorating relationship over shared involvement in the Yemen conflict and other policy divergences.
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed anti-Houthi forces, but recent friction — including a Saudi-led airstrike on what Riyadh said was a UAE-linked shipment in Yemen — has frayed cooperation and prompted the UAE to pull its remaining forces from the conflict.
Business sources say the absence of UAE exhibitors illustrates how geopolitical disputes are beginning to affect commercial ties, even as day-to-day trade remains largely intact.
The disengagement at the World Defense Show highlights how disagreements between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, once close partners in regional security and economic initiatives, are now influencing industry events.
Observers note that while the absence may be limited to this exhibition, it raises questions about future cooperation and how defence and commercial engagements might adjust if tensions persist across the Gulf.
Exhibitors including units linked to UAE government defence groups were listed to participate in the event, which runs from February eight to twelve, but the expected Emirati presence was largely absent on the show floor, causing surprise among industry attendees.
Analysts see the move as a signal of broader strategic discomfort between the two Gulf powers.
The withdrawals come against the backdrop of a deteriorating relationship over shared involvement in the Yemen conflict and other policy divergences.
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed anti-Houthi forces, but recent friction — including a Saudi-led airstrike on what Riyadh said was a UAE-linked shipment in Yemen — has frayed cooperation and prompted the UAE to pull its remaining forces from the conflict.
Business sources say the absence of UAE exhibitors illustrates how geopolitical disputes are beginning to affect commercial ties, even as day-to-day trade remains largely intact.
The disengagement at the World Defense Show highlights how disagreements between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, once close partners in regional security and economic initiatives, are now influencing industry events.
Observers note that while the absence may be limited to this exhibition, it raises questions about future cooperation and how defence and commercial engagements might adjust if tensions persist across the Gulf.
