The New Drone Race: How Gulf States Are Preparing for Next-Generation Airpower
AI Analysis
Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are significantly investing in drone technology and strategies, driven by lessons learned from conflicts like those in Iran, Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia is focusing on large-scale acquisitions within the US defense ecosystem, while the UAE is pursuing a more diversified industrial approach with partnerships across multiple nations. This shift reflects a broader trend of drones becoming core elements of military operations, impacting the balance of cost, scale, and survivability.
Key Takeaways
- Saudi Arabia is prioritizing integration with the US defense industry and building domestic industrial capacity through large-scale drone acquisitions.
- The UAE is diversifying its drone partnerships to include US, European, and Asian actors, aiming for strategic autonomy and economic returns.
- Recent conflicts (Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon) demonstrate the effectiveness of low-cost drones (FPV, loitering munitions) in overwhelming defenses.
- Gulf states are focusing on advanced drone platforms capable of long-range operation and integration with existing defense systems.
- Drones are transitioning from niche enablers to core components of modern airpower, reshaping military tactics and strategy.
Why It Matters
The increasing reliance on drones in the Gulf region signals a significant shift in the regional security landscape and necessitates investment in counter-UAS technologies. This trend will likely accelerate the proliferation of drone technology and tactics globally, requiring adaptive defense strategies and potentially escalating regional tensions. The divergent approaches of Saudi Arabia and the UAE highlight the complex geopolitical dynamics at play.
The New Drone Race: How Gulf States Are Preparing for Next-Generation Airpower
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Policy Brief
The New Drone Race: How Gulf States Prepare for Next-Generation Airpower
Gulf states are reshaping airpower through distinct yet converging drone strategies. Saudi Arabia is deepening integration with the US defence ecosystem, while the UAE pursues diversification and industrial autonomy. Together, these approaches reflect how middle powers are combining high-end platforms and scalable solutions to manage risk and navigate an increasingly multipolar security environment.
10-minute read
05 May 2026
By Francesco Salesio Schiavi
An MQ-9 Reaper sits along the flight line during sunset at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, USA, 17 November 2020.
A key characteristic of the war in Iran has been the extent to which drones were used by strategic planners in Tehran, and how, concomitantly, this came to shape our understanding of airpower in 21st-century warfare. For Gulf states, in particular, the implications were of both technological and geopolitical nature, to the extent that drone procurement and partnerships came to define how these countries position themselves for next-generation airpower in the emerging multipolar defence landscape.
When it comes to defining their concrete strategies, however, Gulf actors pursue distinct pathways (they do so too questions of energy policy, as the UAE exit from OPEC has demonstrated). Saudi Arabia, for its part, is using large-scale acquisitions to anchor the Kingdom firmly – but not exclusively – within the US-led defence ecosystem, while leveraging these partnerships to build domestic industrial capacity. By contrast, the UAE follows a more diversified “industrial” approach, forging partnerships with US, European, and Asian actors to balance strategic autonomy with economic returns. These divergent approaches reflect a broader change in how airpower is conceptualized today. Recent conflicts – from Ukraine to Gaza and Iran – have highlighted the growing importance of drones, surveillance, and coordination between crewed and uncrewed systems. Gulf states are drawing on these lessons while focusing on advanced platforms that can operate over long distances and integrate with existing defence systems.
The Changing Logic of Airpower
The importance of drones in Gulf defence strategies reflects a broader shift in how airpower is understood and
applied in 21st-centruy conflict. Over the past decade, and especially since the start of the Ukraine war, drones have moved from niche enablers to core elements of military operations, reshaping not only tactics but also the balance between cost, scale and survivability. In particular, two clear trends can be discerned: the war in Ukraine, as well as fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, have shown how low-cost drones – from FPV drones to loitering munitions – deployed in large numbers can overwhelm defences and sustain operations at relatively limited co