Germany's new government is likely to ease arms sales to the Middle East, The National has been told, as UAE-friendly politicians vie for the role of foreign minister.
The coalition deal taking shape in Berlin is set to shift Germany's arms sales policy to focus on defence and economic needs ahead of disarmament and human rights principles, according to a draft text.
Conservative allies of chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz are expected to take over the foreign and economic ministries from the Greens, who led a "restrictive" export policy under the previous government. Arms sales would boost Germany's defence industry as the country rearms to deter Russia.
While Germany sold about $176 million of weapons to Israel and $161 million to the UAE last year, the departing Olaf Scholz government blocked several export licences for Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and was accused by friends of Israel of imposing an arms embargo in all but name during the war in Gaza.
"The new government will treat arms exports much less restrictively than the former coalition," arms control expert Marius Bales from the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies told The National. "It's all about security, and security was one of the issues of [Mr Merz's party] in its election campaign."
Draft text
A draft document being negotiated between Mr Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU) and Mr Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) shows them drawing up an arms policy aligned "more closely with our interests" in foreign, economic and security policy. Pledges on arms control could be watered down to one vague paragraph.
The draft calls for a "strategically oriented" arms policy that "provides reliability for the German security and defence industry, its foreign partners and its customers". It says licences should be reviewed more quickly.
In the past it was possible to look past strict arms sales criteria only if there was a "clear security or foreign policy interest", Mr Bales said. "Now you can also bring in this economic interest and this was pushed by the conservatives.
"In the past they have mostly talked about having security interests, Saudi Arabia as our most important security partner, stuff like that. Now they can just say 'we have an economic interest'. And of course most European countries, particularly Germany, have a huge interest in economic co-operation with the Gulf states, particularly since the war in Ukraine."
Germany has exported more than $50 million of arms to Saudi Arabia since 2021, including parts of fighter jets, missiles and flight simulators. But it has also rejected several requests and blocked the sale of Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia before softening its position last year.
Israel is Berlin's closest Middle Eastern ally but, under pressure from supporters of Palestine, Germany has been at pains to show it is not giving the Israeli military a blank cheque. It told war crimes hearings in The Hague last year that German ministries were "employing stringent criteria with respect to a very limited supply of war weaponry".
Conservative control
The CDU has vowed to boost Germany's defence industry as Europe looks to deter Russia with or without US President Donald Trump's help. The party's manifesto promised “more reliable” rules for German companies, with defence no longer to be treated as a bogeyman under sustainability and social awareness guidelines.
Merz loyalist Carsten Linnemann is expected to take over Germany's Economy Ministry, which has a crucial role in arms exports. Under the Greens' control, the ministry had described its policy as "restrictive", with most weapons going to Ukraine.
By convention, the Social Democrats would normally take on the Foreign Ministry while the chancellor's party gets defence. But a switch could be on the cards so that popular SPD Defence Minister Boris Pistorius can stay in office, opening up the foreign department for the CDU.
One name doing the rounds is Armin Laschet, a former CDU leader who lost out in the 2021 election to Mr Scholz. Mr Laschet has since forged ties to the UAE, describing it as a "preferred partner" in the Middle East, and founded an Abraham Accords Institute to promote Arab-Israeli peace.
In 2022, Mr Laschet said Germany should not leave the UAE to deal with Houthi attacks unaided. "If the UAE asks for help, Germany should not say 'no, we want more hydrogen, we want more LNG gas, we want you to co-operate with us, but when you want to protect your facilities we Germans will stay outside'," he said.
Recent trips to Syria and Armenia have done nothing to dispel rumours that Mr Laschet is vying for the job. Potentially counting against him are a recent driving ban that revived memories of his gaffe-prone 2021 campaign and the potential for a cabinet with too many men from the Rhineland, Mr Merz being another. (It has also raised a laugh that Mr Laschet and Mr Pistorius look so alike that even defence officials sometimes mix them up).
A second name in the picture is the CDU's Johann Wadephul, an army reservist who has helped to write the defence and foreign affairs sections of the coalition deal. Mr Wadephul said in 2023 that if Germany wanted to take effective measures against the Houthis, it should lift all restrictions on arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
In 2022, he told The National that Germany should lead the way in “more strongly tackling and limiting the malign activities of the Iranian regime”. The new coalition could now adopt tougher language on countering Iran's influence.
Any reference to Iran "will certainly be used as a basis for legitimising increased exports to other centres of power in the region", Mr Bales said. He said Germany's planned $500 billion-plus spending spree on upgrading its military and infrastructure "could also be interesting to the countries in the Middle East".
"You invest a lot of money in your own defence industry," Mr Bales said. "There are new jobs, economic growth. But then demand drops again because the security situation in five years may be a different one. Then you will see that German companies will start to beat the drum in the Middle East again and look around for potential recipients."
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
