The US named the UAE a major defence partner on Monday, a step that could make it eligible to purchase more sophisticated US weapons and technology, as tensions in the Middle East soar.

“Sudan is unlikely to be in the top five priorities for this visit. On foreign policy, the war in Gaza and Iran will likely headline though certainly Sudan will be discussed,” Elizabeth Dent, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former Pentagon official told MEE.

“[But] the UAE cares about US concerns over their support for the RSF, and will listen to Harris’s views to see how she will handle the situation if she is elected,” she added.