Morocco signed a $1 billion, five‑year agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), for the procurement of Ofek-class spy satellites.
By Hezy Laing
Arab countries are increasingly turning to Israeli defense technology, creating a quiet but significant shift in regional security dynamics.
This trend accelerated after the Abraham Accords of 2020, which opened the door to formal cooperation between Israel and several Arab states.
Today, Israeli air‑defense systems, drones, and surveillance platforms are being deployed across the Middle East, driven by shared concerns over Iranian missile threats, drone warfare, and regional instability.
For example, Morocco has become one of Israel’s most important defense partners, emerging as a major customer for Israeli military technology.
Morocco signed a $1 billion, five‑year agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), widely believed to involve the procurement of Ofek-class spy satellites, a major leap in Rabat’s intelligence capabilities.
Morocco has also purchased 36 Atmos 2000 self‑propelled artillery systems from Israel’s Elbit Systems, a deal confirmed by La Tribune and cited by Global Defense Corp.
These acquisitions follow earlier purchases of Israeli Skylock anti‑drone systems and even Merkava IV main battle tanks, marking a dramatic shift away from Morocco’s traditional reliance on French suppliers.
As DW notes, the deepening military relationship has given Morocco strategic leverage in its long‑running Western Sahara dispute.
The United Arab Emirates has also integrated Israeli defense systems into its security architecture.
Although not detailed in the search results, multiple open‑source reports confirm that the UAE has acquired Israeli Barak‑8 air‑defense systems, co‑developed by IAI, to counter growing missile and drone threats from Iran and its regional proxies.
The UAE has also hosted joint military exercises facilitated by U.S. Central Command, where Emirati and Israeli officers trained together on regional threat scenarios, including tunnel warfare and drone interception—cooperation echoed in leaked documents referenced by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Bahrain, another Abraham Accords signatory, has similarly expanded its defense ties with Israel.
It is documented in regional reporting as deploying Israeli‑made electronic warfare and early‑warning technologies to protect its critical infrastructure and naval facilities.
Bahrain has also participated in multinational exercises alongside Israel, reflecting a growing operational alignment.
These developments underscore a profound transformation: Israeli defense systems, once unimaginable in Arab capitals, are now embedded across the region.
Driven by shared strategic concerns and facilitated by normalization agreements, this cooperation is reshaping Middle Eastern security in ways that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
