There may be a reason for this prominent location.<\/p>\n
The United Arab Emirates<\/a> is, by far, Australia\u2019s biggest weapons export market, with nearly $300m in arms and ammunition being shipped there in the past five years.<\/p>\n Amid the slogans and sales tactics, there will probably be things left unsaid at this airshow.<\/p>\n In Australia, parliamentarians, human rights organisations and religious groups are demanding a suspension of defence exports to the UAE, citing consistent reports to UN investigators that it has armed a militia accused of genocide.<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/a><\/p>\n Sudan\u2019s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary is accused of a campaign of mass killings<\/a>, rape and torture that has intensified with the capture of the city of El Fasher last month, in the famine-ridden Darfur region.<\/p>\n Thousands are believed to have been killed. Despite a communications blackout, the reported scale of the killings<\/a> are supported by satellite images that have captured bodies on the ground and widespread discoloration of the ground, reddened by blood.<\/p>\n A camp for Sudanese who fled El Fasher after the city fell to the Rapid Support Forces. Photograph: AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The RSF \u2013 formerly allied to, but now fighting against, the Sudanese government \u2013 has sourced \u201csophisticated weaponry\u201d from the UAE via Chad and Libya<\/a>, according to recent UN expert reports, using those weapons to slaughter non-Arab Sudanese<\/a>.<\/p>\n UN investigating supply of arms in Sudan<\/p>\n Over the past five years, Australia exported $288m in arms and ammunition to the UAE, according to government figures, with a massive increase from 2019. But Australian export data has no detail on what weapons have been supplied to the UAE and in what quantity.<\/p>\n What is clear is that the UAE is \u2013 by far \u2013 the largest export market for Australian defence companies.<\/p>\n Separate figures from the UN Comtrade database show the UAE has received \u201carms and ammunition, parts and accessories\u201d valued at USD$197m from Australia over the past five years.<\/p>\n Australian exports of \u2018arms and ammunition, parts and accessories\u2019 2020-2024. Source: United Nations Comtrade<\/a><\/p>\n The UN figures also suggest Australia has been the UAE\u2019s fourth-largest supplier of weapons over that same five-year period.<\/p>\n But there is mounting evidence the UAE is arming the RSF<\/a>, largely in exchange for gold<\/a>. An estimated 90% of Sudan\u2019s gold<\/a> \u2013 worth about USD$13.4bn<\/a> \u2013 is smuggled illegally out of the country, dwarfing the legitimate trade: most of it goes to the UAE<\/a>.<\/p>\n A UN panel of experts detailed in April a heavy rotation of cargo planes<\/a> flying out of the UAE, reportedly carrying weapons, ammunition<\/a> and medical equipment to the RSF via Chad.<\/p>\n The UAE has denied any involvement in trafficking weapons, insisting its flights were humanitarian missions<\/a>, carrying supplies for a field hospital, sewing machines, and Qu\u2019rans.<\/p>\n But British-made target systems and armoured personnel carrier engines have been recovered from combat sites<\/a> in Sudan. Bulgaria has also said weapons it supplied to the UAE were re-exported without permission<\/a>.<\/p>\n The UAE military itself has previously been accused of war crimes and violating arms embargos \u2013 including in Yemen<\/a> and Libya<\/a>. The UAE denies the allegations.<\/p>\n Government supports expanded defence sales<\/p>\n Despite concerns from human rights groups, the Australian government believes the defence relationship with the UAE can be expanded further.<\/p>\n In a note to defence companies last month, Austrade said the<\/a> \u201cUAE\u2019s extensive and ongoing defence procurement program represents real opportunities for Australian suppliers\u201d.<\/p>\n The government has covered costs for dozens of companies to showcase their products \u201cface-to-face with the UAE ministry of defence\u201d in Dubai.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least one retired senior ADF officer will be on hand to lead the delegation,\u201d a government briefing paper says.<\/p>\n \u201cThey offer advice and support well as the key credibility of being in uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n The Green senator David Shoebridge told the Guardian the Australian government had been green-lighting weapons sales to the UAE for the past five years \u201cat an astonishing scale\u201d, with almost no transparency.<\/p>\n Australian exports of \u2018arms and ammunition\u2019 to the United Arab Emirates. Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhen you start selling weapons to regimes like the UAE, what do you think is going to happen? Those weapons are going to end up in some of the bloodiest conflicts in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know the UAE has been sending arms to the RSF in Sudan<\/a>. The public has had zero assurances from the Albanese Government that Australian weapons are not being used and abused in places like Darfur.\u201d<\/p>\n This month, religious group Quakers Australia wrote to the foreign minister, Penny Wong, arguing Australia could not be confident \u2013 because of the opacity of its arms export regime \u2013 that Australian-made weapons were not being diverted to armed groups elsewhere.<\/p>\n The Medical Association for the Prevention of War, along with other civil society organisations, have also called for an urgent parliamentary review<\/a> of Australia\u2019s arms exports, arguing the current export regime lacks accountability.<\/p>\n Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Australia had an obligation under international law to ensure its military trade did not contribute to human rights abuses.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Australia doesn\u2019t have laws on the books that require it to monitor where and how these exports are used once exported,\u201d said the HRW\u2019s Australia director, Daniela Gavshon.<\/p>\n \u2018Impossible\u2019 to prove weapons haven\u2019t been used in Sudan<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Australian defence department said it had \u201ca rigorous and transparent export controls framework that is consistent with international obligations\u201d.<\/p>\n The spokesperson said Australian law addressed \u201ca range of issues including foreign policy, human rights, national security, regional security and Australia\u2019s international obligations including the Arms Trade Treaty\u201d. Laws also came into effect last year to provide greater oversight over the transfer of \u201ccontrolled goods\u201d to foreign entities.<\/p>\n Defence did not answer questions on if and how arms were monitored once exported to the UAE.<\/p>\n The Australian government has condemned the atrocities in Sudan and urged a three-month \u201chumanitarian truce\u201d. Wong was a signatory to a joint statement<\/a> from 27 countries, which said they are \u201cgravely alarmed by the reports of systematic and ongoing violence against civilians\u201d.<\/p>\n The embassy of the United Arab Emirates did not respond to questions.<\/p>\n Philipp Kastner, senior lecturer in international law at the University of Western Australia, told the Guardian that while confirming Australian-made weapons have been re-exported to Sudan was difficult, \u201cI would say that it is impossible to confirm the contrary: that these weapons have definitely not been used in Sudan.\u201d<\/p>\n Kastner argued weapons do not bring peace. \u201cIt may be an increasingly lucrative business for Australian companies, but we should ask ourselves, as a society, if it is really through the manufacturing of weapons that we want to increase our wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n Quick GuideContact us about this storyShow The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.<\/p>\n If you have something to share on this subject, you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.<\/p>\n Secure Messaging in the Guardian app<\/p>\n The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.<\/p>\n If you don’t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS<\/a>\/Android<\/a>) and go to the menu. Select \u2018Secure Messaging\u2019. <\/p>\n SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post<\/p>\n If you can safely use the Tor network without being observed or monitored, you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763291707_565_4000.jpg\")
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