US seeks to reset relationship with oil-rich UAE

President Biden is signaling an effort by the White House to reset its relationship with Abu Dhabi after a high-profile list of cabinet officials led by the vice president on Monday visited the United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich nation in the midst of a critical leadership change.

Rejection and perceived disinterest from Washington has led the UAE to recently act more boldly on the global stage. It abstained from a U.S.-led resolution at the United Nations that condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Emirati officials have also refused to increase oil production in an effort to lower gas prices while it continues to pursue closer ties with China.  

But following the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the country’s second president who had officially ruled since 2004, Biden this week dispatched his most senior cabinet officials led by Vice President Harris who was joined by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and CIA Director William Burns.

The visit by the Biden administration’s top brass was one to express condolences – and congratulations – to the new leader, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Known as MBZ, he is the late president’s half-brother.

Harris, in remarks after a meeting that lasted less than one hour, said the purpose of the trip was to “reaffirm the shared commitment we have to security and prosperity in this region and also how the American people have benefited from this relationship in terms of security and prosperity.” She called the UAE a “friend” and “partner.”

The trip came as U.S. officials attempted to woo the monarchy amid a long list of strains between Abu Dhabi and Washington. Another issue is that of a longtime American foe Iran and the UAE’s rejections of the Biden administration’s pursuit of a nuclear deal with Tehran.

The tensions stand in stark contrast to the close ties the UAE held with the former administration.

Abu Dhabi welcomed then-President Trump’s exit from the Iran nuclear deal. Most notably, the Gulf state benefited from normalizing relations with Israel through U.S. proposed military sales and Washington pulling its support from Israeli plans to annex the West Bank. 

“MBZ, because he sees himself as a man of vision, and Abu Dhabi of being a significant and important country, he expects respect and certainly under Biden, doesn’t think he’s been treated with respect,” said Simon Henderson, director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute.

“Trump and Jared Kushner [the president’s son-in-law and senior advisor] sort of treated him with respect.”

Experts said that the trip by Biden officials signals the administration knows it has some work to do.

“I think the high level delegation signals that Washington would like to repair the relationship and it’s really important that they do that,” said Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

Mohammed, 61, has been considered the de-facto ruler of the Emirates for nearly 10 years, since then-President Khalifa suffered…