The US and UAE have agreed to establish a major defense partnership, Washington and Abu Dhabi announced on Monday.

This follows the designation of the UAE as a major defense partner by the Biden administration last year.

The letter of intent was signed between the UAE’s Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth last week.

“This LOI represents a shared commitment to develop a structured roadmap that will guide enhanced military-to-military cooperation, joint capability development, and long-term defense alignment between the two nations,” the joint statement read. 

“The two sides will explore a phased framework for advancing bilateral force readiness, interoperability, and innovation-driven collaboration.”

Hegseth also announced a strategic initiative between the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the UAE’s Tawazun Council to deepen ties in defense innovation, increase joint research and expand industrial and investment partnerships across the defense sectors of both countries.

Separately, the UAE was welcomed into the US National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) through a partnership with the Texas National Guard. 

This will increase military modernization efforts and enhance cooperation in integrated air and missile defense, cybersecurity, disaster response, and operational planning, according to the statement.

“The designation of the UAE as a Major Defense Partner reflects a decades-long relationship anchored in mutual trust, shared objectives, and a common commitment to regional and global security,” the statement said.