The German government has given its approval for new military exports to the United Arab Emirates, despite an agreement by the ruling coalition to no longer supply military hardware to countries “directly” involved in the war in Yemen.
Germany has had a strategic partnership agreement with the UAE since 2004 and has never completely stopped its exports to the country under exceptions contained in the 2017 coalition agreement, the UAE has been a major partner in a Saudi-led military alliance that has been fighting in Yemen against Iran-linked Houthi rebels. However, in July, amid a rift in that alliance, it became known that the UAE intended to gradually pull out some 5,000 soldiers it had deployed in Yemen at the time.
It has, however, stopped its exports of arms to Saudi Arabia over the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
This followed by critics’ expert for breaching and violation of coalition agreement, as they state “Restrictive rules rendered absurd”.
