The recent attacks on the United Arab Emirates by Houthi missiles and drones have highlighted the vulnerability of city states with economies reliant on sprawling energy infrastructure, huge international hub airports and a largely expatriate workforce.
The UAE, part of the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen, already has one of the most potent air defence systems in the region, relying mainly on American-made weapons like the older HAWK missile, the more capable Patriot PAC-3 missile and the THAAD air defence system which was used for the first time in combat this year, destroying a Houthi missile.
