France and UAE deepen arms trade ties amid global militarisation surge: How defence pacts fuel geopolitical insecurity and resource extraction
Original framing: “UAE and France sign new defence cooperation agreement” — Middle East Eye
The UAE-France defence pact echoes Cold War-era arms deals where Gulf states were used as proxy battlegrounds for Western powers. France’s colonial legacy in North Africa and the Levant underpins its continued military influence in the region, often justifying interventions under 'security' pretexts. Historical parallels include the 1977 French-UAE arms deal during the Iran-Iraq War, which fuelled regional instability.
The UAE-France defence pact exemplifies how militarised diplomacy perpetuates a cycle of insecurity, where arms deals enrich elites while destabilising regions and accelerating climate breakdown.
Historically, such agreements have been tools of colonial control and proxy warfare, with France’s post-colonial military footprint in the Gulf mirroring its interventions in Africa. Indigenous and marginalised voices reveal the human cost—from Yemeni civilians to migrant workers in UAE bases—while scientific evidence links arms races to poverty and ecological destruction. A systemic solution requires dismantling the arms trade’s structural grip, redirecting military funds to green security, and centering democratic oversight. The trickster’s lens exposes the absurdity of selling 'defence' while fueling the very conflicts it claims to prevent, urging a reimagining of security beyond state violence.