Today's Edition
KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI)
International press has called the UAE President's landmark visit to the US as a relationship-resetting encounter that is likely to have broad implications for the two countries' strategic relations in the coming decades.
Nickolay Mladenov, Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute and former Bulgarian Politician called the meeting "historic" resetting of bilateral ties – believing the visit represented a "new model of international partnership where traditional alliances intersect with cutting-edge innovation."
Mladenov said the UAE had proven itself to be a dependable ally across various sectors including in healthcare, technology, defence and trade. He believed the visit was a testament to the UAE's increasingly growing influence on the global stage.
"As the UAE solidifies its role as a pivotal player in the region, this visit underscores the deepening bonds between the two countries - a relationship that is growing ever more robust," he said.
Zolan Kanno and Youngs Ismaeel Naar from the New York Times said the meeting between the two Presidents came amid rising tensions in the region – but also served as a platform to further the cooperation on other fronts and reset the foundations of the relationship, most notably in AI and tech.
They pointed to the pivotal role that G42 deals with American tech giants, including Microsoft and Nvidia, in bringing the two nations together.
Chloe Cornish and Andrew England wrote in Financial Times that the visit underscores the UAE's determination to transform tinto an AI leader.
Other outlets in Asia, including Indian newspapers, the Hindu and the Print, Southeast Asia's ANI, and Al-Jazeera focused on the designation of the UAE as a "major defence partner" amid escalating conflicts regionally.
The UAE is only the second country, after India in 2021 to be given the designation. Pia Krishnankutty from the Print said the new relationship could result in the furthering of a trilateral military relationship between the three countries.
"The United States has designated the United Arab Emirates as a 'major defence partner' - a status so far enjoyed only by India - in a rare and significant move that could lead to increased trilateral cooperation, especially on military issues," she said.
"US President Biden now announcing the designation for the UAE will allow for more cooperation through joint training, exercises, and military-to-military collaboration between the US, the UAE, and India. Additionally, many see the development as a step towards purchasing more sophisticated American weapons and technology for the other two countries."
