The United Arab Emirates is a vital U.S. partner, coordinating closely with the United States on a variety of regional issues. The UAE is an indispensable component of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s counterterrorism efforts, and its contributions to regional security in the Middle East are significant and growing. Building on the May 14, 2015 Camp David summit, we are working with the UAE and its GCC partners to increase cooperation on maritime security, military preparedness, arms transfers, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism. The United States remains steadfast in our commitment to improve partner security — standing together to defeat threats posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida — as well as securing other shared interests in the region.

• Through many foreign military sales initiatives and direct commercial sales, the United States has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the UAE in the fight against terrorism and promoting regional security. In order to help support the security of the UAE, the Department of State has recently notified to Congress the proposed transfer of joint direct attack munitions and four AN/AAQ 24(V) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures systems to provide further protection for the UAE’s Head of State aircraft against increased missile threats.  
• Additionally, the United States has offered a case for 1,000 GBU-31B/B(V)1 and B(V)3 precision tail kits, and implemented cases for 600 GBU-12 laser-guided kits with associated containers, fuses, and repair parts in order to help support the UAE’s counterterrorism efforts against ISIL and Al-Qaida in Yemen. This will help to bolster our partnership, especially for the support of U.S. forces in the region.  
• Cooperation between the UAE and the United States has been vital to supporting U.S. interests overseas. As of 2013, UAE ports hosted more U.S. Navy ships than any other port outside the United States. The UAE’s support for U.S. forces in the region has also been critical in promoting the success of our shared goals of countering terrorism and securing stability in the region. The UAE has been an active participant in coalition operations in Afghanistan and against ISIL in Syria, and the UAE’s Presidential Guard uses the skills learned from the U.S. Marine Corps training funded by FMS to deploy alongside U.S. forces in places such as Afghanistan.