with delivery of the stealth fighter not at all certain. In that way, it mirrors what happened when Trump agreed to sell the plane to the United Arab Emirates late in his first term. More than five years later, the UAE still hasn’t received the jets.
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The jets’ advanced technology is also one reason why the deal will be fraught. Trump’s planned approval comes despite the eagerness of Israel, the only Middle Eastern state that currently has the fighter jet, to protect its monopoly. Under American law, Israel is guaranteed weapons needed to maintain its “qualitative military edge” over Arab nations. US officials have said they can provide that assurance regardless of F-35 sales without specifying publicly what they would offer Israel.
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The case of the UAE offers insight into the hurdles ahead. Late in his first term, Trump pushed through approval for the sale of up to 50 F-35 fighter jets to the UAE in a deal valued at up to $10.4 billion. In exchange, the UAE agreed to join the Abraham Accords normalizing relations with Israel. While the Abraham Accords went ahead, the F-35 deal stalled after a succession of disagreements between the two countries. When former President Joe Biden took over from Trump in 2021, his administration pushed the UAE to remove Huawei Technologies Co. from its telecommunications network and take other steps to distance itself from China.
After lengthy negotiations, the UAE removed Huawei from some of its networks. The Biden administration wanted other restrictions, including limits on the UAE’s use of the jets. In the end, those conversations came to a halt. Many other challenges await this time as well. Saudi Arabia must make a formal ask for the jets, and Congress must approve. The Pentagon would then need to finalize a so-called Letter of Offer and Acceptance, and then Saudi Arabia will need to negotiate with Lockheed on terms.
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