The United Arab Emirates matters in this section for two reasons at once. It is a major U.S. partner, and it is a heavy user of registered Washington influence channels. Readers should be able to inspect that record in filings, not slogans.
Why this page matters now
CRS’s May 21, 2025 report RS21852 describes the UAE as a U.S.-designated “major defense partner.” It hosts U.S. military personnel, buys large volumes of U.S. defense equipment, and reached about $34 billion in bilateral trade in 2024. CRS also says the UAE maintained diplomatic relations with Israel after October 7, 2023. That means Emirati influence in Washington attaches to live questions: defense cooperation, Gulf security, technology and trade, Gaza diplomacy, and the future of the Abraham Accords.
What the current FARA record clearly shows
The DOJ FARA record shows an active UAE influence footprint across more than one firm, not a single embassy filing. As of April 20, 2026, Akin Gump’s FARA page for registration no. 3492 shows a supplemental statement filed on January 30, 2026. It also shows Emirati informational materials filed on January 13, 2026. FGS Global’s page for registration no. 5666 shows a supplemental statement filed on March 16, 2026 and UAE-related exhibit filings for both the embassy and the Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Gilliland & McKinney’s March 3, 2026 informational materials say they were distributed on behalf of the embassy and as a consultant to Akin Gump.
That does not prove every Emirati channel is registered, and it does not prove every registrant is equally important. It does prove the public paper trail is current, multi-layered, and ongoing.
What the filings describe in plain English
The filings show a hybrid influence program that mixes legal advocacy, Hill monitoring, media work, and reputation management.
In a supplemental statement filed on February 6, 2025, Akin Gump said that during the reporting period it advised the embassy on foreign policy and trade issues. The filing lists work on the Abraham Accords, sanctions and export controls, bilateral military and security matters, cybersecurity, and “U.S. Congressional matters” such as relationship building, legislative monitoring, and analysis of potential legal ramifications. That filing reported $3,254,295.81 in receipts from the embassy for the period ending December 31, 2024.
FGS Global’s April 8, 2024 Exhibit AB is even more explicit about the communications side. The contract says FGS would run a U.S. public-diplomacy and communications program for the UAE embassy. It says the work would influence U.S. policy on trade, geopolitical, and cultural issues, reach policymakers and opinion leaders, and conduct outreach to media, think tanks, trade groups, business leaders, issue experts, and academics. The same filing put the program on a $5.3 million annual retainer, billed in monthly installments of $441,666.67.
FGS’s March 3, 2025 supplemental statement shows how that looks in practice. It said FGS provided communications and strategic counsel to the UAE mission at the United Nations on public-affairs matters. It also said the firm provided the embassy with public-relations and communications counsel that included scheduling meetings and briefings for embassy staff with business people, academics, public-policy groups, and media. The same filing reported $2,867,797.95 in receipts tied to the embassy during the reporting period ending January 31, 2025. It also said payment from the UN mission was still forthcoming.
Where the Barrack case fits
The public record also includes a high-profile case that readers should handle carefully. In July 2021, DOJ announced charges against Thomas Barrack, Matthew Grimes, and Rashid Al Malik. DOJ alleged they acted as agents of the UAE without required registration. DOJ’s description of the indictment said Barrack allegedly inserted pro-UAE language into a campaign speech, sent a draft to a coconspirator for delivery to senior UAE officials, and sought talking points from senior UAE officials before public appearances.
That is part of the official record. So is the ending. DOJ’s own FARA “Recent Cases” page says Barrack was acquitted at trial in November 2022. The right conclusion is narrower than many partisans want. The case shows federal prosecutors believed some alleged UAE-linked conduct may have crossed beyond registered influence work. The acquittal means readers should not cite it as a proven covert-influence verdict.
Where the evidence stops
This page does not claim that the UAE is uniquely active, that every Emirati relationship in Washington is hidden, or that registered activity equals illegal activity. FARA is a disclosure system. It shows a lot, but not everything. It does not measure private persuasion that never triggers registration. It does not tell readers which meetings changed which votes.
This page also does not try to turn every widely repeated claim about UAE-linked think-tank money, campaign ties, or other soft-power channels into a quantified fact. Some of those claims rest on serious reporting, but not always on the same kind of current official disclosure record available for FARA filings. Where the auditable public record is strong, we say so. Where it thins out, we stop.
The right takeaway
The public record is strong enough to support a clear conclusion: the UAE maintains a current, professional, multi-firm influence and public-diplomacy presence in the United States, and that presence reaches Congress, media, policy networks, and diplomatic audiences. The same record also shows why disciplined readers should separate registered activity, criminal allegations, and proven misconduct instead of treating them as the same thing.
Sources used on this page
- CRS report RS21852, The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy (updated May 21, 2025): PDF
- DOJ FARA registrant page for Akin Gump / registration no. 3492: efile.fara.gov
- Akin Gump supplemental statement filed February 6, 2025: PDF
- DOJ FARA registrant page for FGS Global / registration no. 5666: efile.fara.gov
- FGS Global Exhibit AB filed April 8, 2024: PDF
- FGS Global supplemental statement filed March 3, 2025: PDF
- Gilliland & McKinney informational materials filed March 3, 2026: PDF
- DOJ press release on Barrack indictment: justice.gov
- DOJ FARA Recent Cases page: justice.gov