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The Bureau of Industry and Security announced that it had upgraded the United Arab Emirates to Country Group A:5 under the Export Administration Regulations while simultaneously removing the country from the more restrictive Country Groups D:3 and D:4. The move, outlined in a statement released on July 10, 2026, and formalised in a final rule published four days later in the Federal Register, recognises the UAE as a Major Defense Partner and its role in advancing US national security interests including through Operation Epic Fury. The Bureau of Industry and Security said the special status under the EAR reflects the ongoing US-UAE military partnership and the UAE’s commitment to preventing the diversion and misuse of sensitive American technology.
According to the Bureau’s announcement, the reclassification allows the UAE government and approved commercial entities to obtain eligible items without individual export licences under the Strategic Trade Authorisation exception as long as they meet all compliance conditions. Covered categories include Commerce-controlled military products, commercial satellites and spacecraft, and dual-use technologies applied in oil and gas production, desalination and civil nuclear power generation. The Bureau added that the change also eliminates previous restrictions on support for the UAE’s unmanned aerial vehicle programmes.
United States Trade Representative data places bilateral goods trade at $39 billion in 2025, a 13.3 percent rise from the previous year, with US exports to the UAE reaching $31.4 billion. The Bureau’s statement tied the regulatory upgrade to supporting the UAE’s defence, infrastructure and commercial requirements while reinforcing American strategic objectives in the Middle East. The UAE now stands as the first Arab country and only the second Middle Eastern state after Türkiye to enter Country Group A:5, a tier that includes close US allies such as the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia according to Bureau of Industry and Security country guidance.
The final rule issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security removes the UAE from the Enhanced Proliferation Controls Initiative that had previously required licences for a wide range of items including EAR99 goods when destined for certain missile, rocket or UAV applications. Bureau of Industry and Security assessments found the UAE’s export control practices aligned closely enough with US standards to justify the elevated treatment. The adjustment follows the United States’ formal designation of the UAE as a Major Defense Partner in 2024 and years of bilateral cooperation on technology security.
In its July 10 statement the Bureau of Industry and Security explained that licence-free transfers under the Strategic Trade Authorisation exception would better equip the UAE defence establishment to support shared interests across the region. The rule maintains existing licence requirements derived from the Commerce Control List even while expanding available exceptions for approved end users. United States Trade Representative figures show the US recorded a $23.8 billion goods trade surplus with the UAE in 2025, the fourth-largest such surplus globally.
The Bureau of Industry and Security noted in its accompanying release that the policy change would facilitate greater collaboration in advanced computing, artificial intelligence chips and space-related sectors without compromising controls against misuse. This reclassification forms part of broader efforts to align export policies with trusted partners amid evolving global supply chain dynamics. The Federal Register document confirms the amendments took effect immediately upon the Bureau’s announcement.
