S 935119th CongressIn Committee

A bill to prohibit sales and the issuance of licenses for the export of certain defense articles to the United Arab Emirates, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Mar 11, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would block the United States from selling or licensing the export of certain defense articles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) until the President certifies to Congress that the UAE is not providing materiel support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. The restriction applies to “covered defense articles” defined as items on the U.S. Munitions List (USML) under specific categories. In effect, the bill ties arms sales to the UAE to a condition related to Sudan’s conflict, using weapons shipments as leverage to deter support for the RSF.

Key Points

1Prohibition on sales and licenses: Starting from enactment, the President may not sell or license the export of covered defense articles to the UAE or its agencies until a certification is made to Congress.
2Certification condition: The prohibition remains until the President certifies that the UAE is not providing materiel support to the RSF in Sudan, and the certification must be reported to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
3What counts as covered defense articles: The term covers defense articles listed on the U.S. Munitions List in Categories I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, XIV, XVI, XVII, or XVIII of Part 121 of Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations. In plain terms, this includes a broad range of conventional weapons, military equipment, and related technologies that are tightly regulated for export.
4Governing framework: The restriction is enacted under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), which governs U.S. defense export controls and licensing.
5Legislative purpose: The bill links arms sales to a foreign policy objective—preventing material support to a listed combat force in Sudan—rather than addressing UAE-U.S. military relations in a general sense.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- United Arab Emirates: Restrictions on receiving U.S. defense articles and licenses until the certification condition is met; could affect UAE defense procurement plans and defense modernization programs.- U.S. defense exporters and manufacturers: Potential disruption or delay of licenses and sales to the UAE for items on the USML; may require shifting business or reassessing export licensing strategies.Secondary group/area affected- United States Congress and U.S. policy makers: Requirement to assess and certify UAE behavior regarding Sudan’s RSF, with reporting to specific committees.- Sudan and RSF: Indirect impact, as this creates a condition tying UAE support to U.S. arms sales; could influence RSF-related dynamics if UAE materials are constrained.Additional impacts- U.S.-UAE security and defense partnership: Could introduce friction or recalibrate ongoing defense cooperation if the UAE relies on U.S. defense articles for its capabilities.- Global arms supply and alliances: If UAE cannot readily obtain U.S. items, it might seek alternatives from other suppliers or reorient its defense procurement, with broader regional security implications.- Compliance and regulatory burden: Agencies and companies would need to track the certification status and adapt licensing workflows accordingly.

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