UAE: UK’s Typhoon deal evaporates

The UK’s BAE Systems suffered a serious setback in December, when it emerged that it will not be signing a much longed-for multi-billion dollar contract to supply Typhoon fighter jets to the UAE (GSN 955/9). The UK had put huge effort into winning over the UAE, dispatching Prime Minister David Cameron on various charm offensives to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, cheerleading Dubai’s bid to host the World Expo 2020, and granting the UAE its desired visa waiver to the UK (GSN 959/18, 959/10, 935/5).