US - Middle East Relations: Trump Administration Clinches $3 Billion Drone Deal With UAE

The Trump administration has clinched a deal to sell 18 armed aerial drones to the UAE, Reuters reported on Thursday. The agreement with the UAE could be valued as much as $2.9 billion.

The Trump administration recently pushed forward a deal to sell 50 F-35 jets worth around $10 billion to the UAE. Some members of Congress have expressed concern about the agreement, as it could affect the balance of power in the Middle East.

"This technology would significantly change the military balance in the Gulf and affect Israel's military edge," said Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The Trump administration in August brokered a normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE. It was the first normalization deal between Israel and an Arab state since 1994, when Israel made a peace deal with Jordan.

UAE officials on Oct. 20 made their first official trip to Israel since the August pact. The two sides agreed to let their citizens travel without visas. The agreement was historic, as it was Israel’s first such waiver with an Arab state.

In September, Bahrain chose to normalize relations with Israel, in another deal brokered by the Trump administration.