Italy announced last week a full and immediate end to its arms embargo on the United Arab Emirates, imposed by the former government of Giuseppe Conte against both the Emirates and Saudi Arabia in January 2021 over the war in Yemen.
At the time, the UAE had ordered Italy to evacuate a key military base in the country in response and denied Rome access to its airspace.
Although the damaged ties later prompted Italy to loosen some restrictions on arms sales to the Gulf states, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, six months after her election victory, now seeks to fully shelve past tensions as she sees Abu Dhabi as a vital Gulf partner for Rome’s geopolitical interests.
Indeed, the move followed a strategic partnership between Italy and the UAE last month, which entails “deepening the horizons of cooperation in areas of mutual strategic interest, including political, diplomatic, international, economic and trade cooperation,” according to a joint statement after Meloni visited Abu Dhabi in March.
