2022 has been a difficult year for the partnership between the US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a bid to repair relations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Mar. 29 met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and de facto UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MbZ) in Morocco. The Emirati ambassador to Washington has said that the meeting helped put the bilateral partnership “back on the right track.”

While the Blinken-MbZ meeting was likely useful to efforts aimed at mending fences, those expecting this process to occur quickly or easily will probably be disappointed. Overcoming the conflicting interests that have harmed UAE-US relations, especially since Joe Biden’s presidency began in Jan. 2021, will require more time and effort...