Weapons, war and wealth: The business of arms in the Middle East

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates  — Arms are a global business, so it’s little surprise that at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference, discerning quartermasters had a world buffet of weaponry before them, be it Brazilian ballistic munitions, Indian patrol boats or the latest in AI-enabled drones from the U.S.

Also present was Israel, which brought 34 companies to the arms bazaar last month — a measure of the surprising resilience of Israel’s trade with Arab nations amid the continuing regional turmoil triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Israel has pummeled Gaza, leaving tens of thousands of people dead and destroying much of the enclave; it has also invaded Lebanon and attacked Yemen. All that has kicked up global condemnation, with regional governments — including the United Arab Emirates — repeatedly denouncing Israel’s actions.

Attendees at the biennial arms fair in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, check out a display.

(Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times)

But little of that opprobrium seemed evident at IDEX, as the biennial arms fair in the UAE is known. The mood at the Israeli pavilion seemed relaxed, with snatches of Hebrew heard amid the raft of languages in conversation.

Stands from companies selling drones, smart surveillance devices and communication equipment all saw heavy traffic. A big hit with attendees was a virtual-reality demo from the state-owned aerospace and aviation manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries, or IAI. As the demo played, spokespeople and Israeli officials nearby spoke glowingly of the “combat-proven” systems — read: used in Gaza and Lebanon — on display.

Though company representatives demurred when asked about current conflicts, many said business was very much as usual.

Israel Aerospace Industries was one of 34 companies from Israel participating in the February 2025 weapons bazaar, known as IDEX.

(Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times)

“We don’t see any difference at all,” said Ron Pollak, vice president of sales and marketing at Israeli arms manufacturer Emtan. This was the third time Emtan had participated in IDEX, he added, and the reception was as good as ever.

“We evaluate market potential … and then we go. As long as it’s a safe environment — and the UAE is very, very safe — there’s no reason not to come.”

Such a presence would have been unthinkable almost five years ago, when Israel and the UAE signed the U.S.-brokered the Abraham Accords, in which the Emirates recognized Israeli sovereignty. Since then, Israeli firms in defense, agriculture and energy have all made inroads into what one Israeli entrepreneur recently described as the “Sand Curtain,” with companies such as IAI and Elbit Systems, another arms manufacturer, creating Emirati subsidiaries.

Other signatories to the accords include Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, but ties with the Emirates have proved to be the most enduring during the war with Hamas, which saw Israel accused of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza began after Hamas assaulted southern Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, Israeli authorities say. Palestinian health authorities in Gaza say Israeli attacks have killed more than 48,500 people.

A January cease-fire between Hamas and Israel has since broken down, with Israel restarting intense bombardment of the enclave that has already killed more than 400 people, Palestinian authorities say. Israel cut off aid to Gaza during the cease-fire and has vociferously pushed for a Trump-supported plan to forcibly relocate Gaza residents to other countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Somalia.

The UAE never stopped flights to Israel during the war and became its top Arab business partner last year. Trade between the two countries totaled $3.2 billion in 2024, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, an 11% increase from 2023.

Other Arab nations, including those with populations holding strong pro-Palestinian sentiment, also saw a strengthening of business ties.

Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Mining said the country’s natural gas exports to Egypt and Jordan increased by 13.4% in 2024, reaching 17.15 billion cubic yards — despite widespread calls for boycotts from citizens in both countries.

Some of that commerce is a matter of economically minded realpolitik. Jordan, a major recipient of U.S. aid, has a restive population with millions of Palestinian refugees, but it needs to maintain good ties with Israel for security coordination — and to stay in Washington’s good books.

Similar pressures apply to Egypt, said Timothy Kaldas, an Egyptian analyst at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy think tank: Egypt suffers from power outages and needs energy supplies — especially when they’re conveniently located next door in Israel. At the same time, its moribund economic prospects mean that it can’t ignore any opportunity to earn hard currency.

“This trade relationship is strategic for both parties,” Kaldas said.

“The rhetoric and the practice of the Egyptian government when it comes to the war — the ethnic cleansing, the genocide — are of course very distant from their practices.”

Attendees at IDEX check out SMASH, a product created by Smartshooter, an international company headquartered in Israel.

(Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times)

For Israel, the most tantalizing diplomatic prize remains normalization with Saudi Arabia. An agreement with the kingdom, home to some of Islam’s holiest sites, would grant religious legitimacy absent from other normalization deals.

Saudi leaders insist they won’t normalize ties without the creation of a Palestinian state — a nonstarter for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and much of the Israeli public. But the two countries share enmity toward Iran and have indirectly cooperated to stop its attacks in the region.

As for the merchants at IDEX, there is no reluctance to working with like-minded nations, said Abraham Mazor, vice president of business development and marketing at Smartshooter, an international company headquartered in Israel. The company says it uses artificial intelligence and other tech to “significantly increase” the accuracy and lethality of small arms.

“We go wherever we feel the customer is looking for innovation and new technologies. And I believe the countries in this area are looking to us,” he said.

At Smartshooter’s stand, an affable representative showed off the company’s wares to a rotating crowd, holding up a mock rifle for customers to try. Among the eager takers were Emirati students and engineers — the men in the long white robe known as a thobe, the women in abayas.

“We are more than happy to share with the Emirates because we have the same intentions for this technology — to save lives by protecting your people,” Mazor said.

“It’s more than just selling. It’s a partnership.”

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