It is time for the UAE to consider closing US bases as they are “a burden and not a strategic asset”, a senior Emirati commentator connected to the kingdom’s leadership has said. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent academic, made the comments on X on Sunday evening, repeating remarks he had given to Reuters.

The US has at least 19 sites – eight of which are considered to be permanent – across the Middle East, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Before the war, there were around 40,000 American troops in the region, according to defence officials. The Emirates is home to 3,500 of those troops, as well as al-Dhafra airbase, a site shared between the US, France and the Emiratis. Since the war began on 28 February with Israeli and US attacks on Iran, Tehran has responded by striking Israel as well as Gulf countries.

The UAE has been hit particularly hard, with hundreds of drone and missile strikes. By late March, Iran had launched 398 ballistic missiles, 1,872 drones and 15 cruise missiles at the Emirates. The UAE is facing its most serious economic shock in decades as a result of the war. The country’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism, real estate, logistics and finance. More than $120bn has reportedly been wiped from market capitalisation on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges in the last few weeks. Over 18,400 flights have also been cancelled.