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Money and influence: how the United Arab Emirates won over Washington

2026-08-11 23:51:44Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Money and influence: how the United Arab Emirates won over Washington

Twenty years ago, the United Arab Emirates was at the center of a political storm in Washington.

Today, the Gulf country is seen by American politicians and military leaders as one of the United States' most capable allies in the Middle East.

The Financial Times analyzes how Abu Dhabi achieved this transformation through a combination of financial power, lobbying and building relationships with the American political elite.

The turning point came in 2006, when DP World attempted to buy operations at six major US ports. Opposition in Congress forced the company to back down.

Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, then the crown prince and currently president of the Emirates, concluded that Americans had a fundamentally wrong perception of his country.

Abu Dhabi then launched a long-term effort to change that.

One of the main instruments was money.

According to OpenSecrets data cited by the FT, the Emirates have spent more than $270 million in Washington over the past 10 years alone.

Money has also gone to some of the most prominent American research institutes, while Abu Dhabi has invested in conferences and in building ties with politics, universities and the media.

At the center of this strategy has also been Emirati Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba.

“Otaiba has been tireless in building supporters in both parties” in the US, a former senior State Department official told the FT.

The relationship was further strengthened in 2020, when the Emirates became the main signatory to the Abraham Accords promoted by Donald Trump, normalizing relations with Israel.

But Abu Dhabi's influence now goes far beyond diplomacy and defense.

Funds and companies backed by the Emirati state have formed major partnerships with the American technology and artificial intelligence industry.

The investments include companies like OpenAI and xAI, as well as interests in chipmakers GlobalFoundries and Cerebras Systems.

The rapprochement with the Trump administration has also brought controversy. The administration has given the Emirates access to advanced American chips, while a few months ago a company run by the Emirati national security adviser invested $500 million in the Trump family's cryptocurrency business.

Despite its influence, the Emirates failed to prevent the United States and Israel from launching a war against Iran this year. However, Abu Dhabi has chosen to further deepen its relations with Washington and Israel.

"The Emirates have a lot of influence here in Washington — a lot of influence," said Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. "So they've been tolerated in ways that other countries wouldn't be tolerated in."


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