Exports are primarily in the form of Saab's Global Eye airborne radar system.
It is actually a defensive system that they use to control their own airspace, says Johan Brosché, associate professor at Uppsala University.
The permit to export weapons to the country was granted by the Strategic Export Inspectorate back in 2016, and the largest purchases were made in 2021 (7.5 billion SEK) and 2024 (6.2 billion SEK).
In recent years, the United Arab Emirates has been heavily involved in the war in Sudan, where they are on the side of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia group.
Showered with weapons
According to Johan Brosché, the United Arab Emirates is "pouring" weapons on the RSF, while Egypt and Saudi Arabia, among others, are instead pouring resources on the Sudanese army.
Sudan is very strategically located, so many actors want to have influence over the country. It is located on the Red Sea and strategically close to the Suez Canal, the country has great resources in terms of gold, livestock and agricultural potential, he says.
Due to the United Arab Emirates' actions in Sudan, Sweden's arms exports to the country are being criticized, including by the Green Party.
According to Johan Brosché, there is nothing to indicate that Swedish weapons are being used in the conflict. Something that Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) also underlined earlier this week.
Can put pressure
But according to Johan Brosché, Sweden still has an opportunity to put pressure on the country through arms exports.
"If you ask them behind closed doors to stop supplying weapons to RSF, nothing has any special weight. But if you do it publicly and make it conditional, it has a much greater chance of influencing their behavior," he says, continuing:
As long as trade continues as usual and the weapons are exported as usual, the cost of them is not high enough to end, he says.
“Close dialogue”
Minister of International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa (M) tells TT that Sweden, together with the EU, is acting against "the forces that support RSF in various ways."
We have close dialogue with both the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the entire region, which is very committed to this issue, says Dousa.
At the same time, the minister defends the conditions for Swedish arms exports.
The whole point of us exporting defense material is for Swedish national interests. We are too small a country for Swedish defense companies to develop their products for, so we must be able to export it to other countries.
