The landmark of the VAE visit raises the catch of President Aoun 22

Visiting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the United Arab Emirates, the first official visit to such an official visit, was a new step in the initiative of Beirut to get back to the country. This most recent stop followed the visits to Saudi Arabia in March and Qatar in April, as well as plans to visit Kuwait soon.

The main goal of the Abu Dhabi trip was to restore the confidence with the Emiratis after a decade that is shaped by political tensions. From the perspective of Beirut, the VAE remains an important trading partner who makes it an urgently needed goal for the reconstruction of Lebanon, five years after the collapse of its financial system and a few months after the recent Hisbollah Israel War. The VAE are also the second golf destination for the Lebanese diaspora to Saudi Arabia and organize about ninety thousand Lebanese citizens.

The result of Aoun's visit was modest and reflected that Abu Dhabi is careful. Both countries made a joint explanation in which the end of a travel ban was announced to Lebanon, which the VAE accompanied after the Hisbollah after Hamas after October 7, 2023 in HamasPresent Attack on Israel, who launched the war in Gaza. The two governments are also called up a bilateral economic council to discuss potential investments. In the meantime, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will send a team to Beirut to assess the opportunities for joint projects, and the “knowledge exchange office” of the United Arab Emirates plans to support government reforms.

Despite this provision, Abu Dhabi waived the announcement of an investment package or an aid program with the Lebanon. There was also no explanation for the financial support of the VAE for the Lebanese armed forces (LAF) or the research of the Libanon gas field – two topics in which the Lebanon hoped considerable decisions.

Overall, AOT's visit aimed to rebuild the trust, but did not yet confirm Emirati's return to Lebanon. Aoun stood in Riad and left the Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman without financial commitment. He was more successful during his trip to Doha when the Qatar government announced the renewal of a sixty million dollar scholarship to cover the salaries of the Lebanese army.

The cautious attitude of the United Arab Emirates compared to Lebanon is based on the request in the political circles of Abu Dhabi to evaluate the ability of Aoun. This assessment will ultimately influence how much political and financial capital Abu Dhabi is willing to invest in the country in general.

Of course, Aoun's profile appeals for the Emiratis. The former commander of the LAF became head of state after his election last January last January after a three -year institutional crisis left Lebanon without President. With the new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Aoun probably takes the best chance that Lebanon has had the best chance for years to tackle its chronic problems, e.g.

If he is successful, AOUN and the new government in Levante could become important strategic partners of Abu Dhabi. The fact that the Emirates maintains close contacts to Israel could also benefit from the Netanyahu government when sending news in order to allow space – and to allow the time – for the Lebanese government to transmit power in the south from the Hisbollah to the LAF, a main condition of the ceasefire with Israel and the United Nations, 1701.

The strengthening of the LAF is crucial to reduce the Iranian influence within the country and to prevent the war with Israel. A robust Lebanese army is also of essential importance for border security, especially for clashes from neighboring Syria, in which the new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa has difficulties to control sectarian violence.

However, five months after the Aoun's presidency, the situation in relation to the disarmament of the Hisbollah and the reconciliation has not changed dramatically. Aoun announced in mid -April: “The weapons of the Hezbollah will be withdrawn in 2025 (…).”

But he quickly added that Beirut “wants to withdraw the Hisbollah's weapons, but we don't want to ignite civil war”.

Like former Lebanese leaders, AOUN does not want to carry out an internal conflict between the Hisbollah fighters and the regular soldiers. Memories of the Hisbollah, who go on the streets of Beirut and occupied the city center in 2008, after the government of the then Prime Minister Fouad Siniora tried to close the private communication network of the HISBOLLAH, remain fresh in the minds of the people.

In an interview with the newspaper based in Abu Dhabi The nationalAoun suggested that fighter from the party of God could join the LAF if they agreed to put down their arms.

Aoun's message may be encouraging, but it sounds similar to the golf decision -makers and their western colleagues as with the earlier they have heard beforehandPresent including after the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in 2005 and after the previous Hezbollah Israel War in 2006.

The VAE and Saudi Arabia played a crucial role in supporting the Lebanese economy for a long time. Riyadh was also to finance the LAF until the Kingdom withdrew from the support plan in 2016 because the Hezbollah's influence on the army affected the deal. Since then, Gulf investments have decreased in Lebanon, and Golf tourists who used to flew in Beiruts Corniche.

Unfortunately, the Lebanese government cannot initiate the reconstruction of the country without significant support from external partners. The infrastructure of Lebanon is disordered from its electricity to its health sector. At the beginning of this year, the World Bank estimated that the reconstruction required an investment of eleven billion dollars after the 2024 war. The Lebanese state is currently working with a budget of $ 3 billion. The World Bank offers to convey a loan of 250 million US dollars for the first tranche of reconstruction, but the rest must come from elsewhere.

The Hisbollah is significantly weakened by the last Israeli operation and cannot finance the reconstruction. However, his leaders can still gather their Shiite supporters, who are frustrated by the state's breach of duty. The longer the government takes to reconstruction of the country, the more difficult it is to maintain the support of the population, and to give the militant group more time to new groups and reconstruction. If the military presence of the Hezbollah continues to exist, Israel could consider it necessary to resume its air and land operations in Lebanon.

Ultimately, this AOUN presents with a fishing twenty -two: Lebanon needs the diplomatic and financial support of golf states such as the United Arab Emirates to marginalize the Hisbollah and improve its economy. However, potential golf supporters in Riad and Abu Dhabi hesitate to invest without evidence that show that the Aoun and the government can relax with the disarming Hisbollah.

When Abu Dhabi and other Gulf States hesitate to invest in Aoun and the Lebanese government, it may have to pursue a courageous approach and increase their shares against the Hisbollah.

Jean-Loup Samaan Is A Non -resident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council and a Senior Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.

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Image: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, meetings with Joseph Aoun, President of Lebanon, in Al Shati Palace, Abu Dhabi, combined Arab Emirates, April 30, 2025. Hamad Al Kaabi/President Court of the US President.