Russia’s difficult economic situation has resulted in deepening ties between the nation and the United Arab Emirates, which is seeing a cash from the warring country flood into its markets and economy. 

That’s as sanctions and trade restrictions have weighed heavily on Russia’s economy, cutting it off from billions of its foreign reserves and crimping its energy trade. 

But Russia is still selling plenty of oil, offering hefty to discounts to “friendly” nations who are gorging on cheap Russian crude. The markdowns have led UAE traders to snap up more discounted Russian oil and gold than ever before and ushering in a huge amount of wealth to the Middle Eastern nation.

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