Saudi King’s UAE visit to cause ‘paradigm shift in bilateral ties’ – Sheikh Mohammed

Saudi King Salman’s official visit to the UAE on Saturday will “induce a paradigm shift in bilateral ties” between the two countries, according to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

King Salman – on his first official trip to the UAE – is also visiting Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait as part of a regional tour.

The Saudi king met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, official news agency WAM reported.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed also awarded King Salman with the Zayed medal in recognition of his role in enhancing fraternal cooperation and GCC and Arab joint action.

The two countries have been working together to revamp the ties that unite the GCC and sustain their strategic cooperation and coordination in regional issues, the report said.

علاقات المملكة ودولة الامارات تجاوزت العلاقات الدبلوماسية والتحمت لتكون علاقة العضد بعضيده .. نسأل الله أن يحمي هذا الجسد الواحد pic.twitter.com/ONfIHzosH2

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) December 3, 2016

“The UAE always believes that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the long pole in the Gulf and Arab tent and its security and stability are part and parcel of the UAE and other GCC and Arab states. This confirms the close strategic co-ordination between the two countries at all levels and all fields at the Arab, Gulf, regional and global arenas,” WAM quoted Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as saying.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia were united in defending the rights and justice in Yemen and in confronting interference in the region’s internal affairs and plots against the security, sovereignty and the higher interests of Arab countries, he said.

“Arab history will always remember the historic stance and decisive decisions of King Salman against attempts by greedy foreign forces to meddle in Arab internal affairs. King Salman created a unified GCC-Arab front to confront these interferences,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

“History will long ponder the operation to restore legitimacy in Yemen at a critical juncture in the brave Arab action that is driven by self-initiative and self-dependence in protecting Arab higher interests aborting plots of expansion and hegemony in the region.

“We are confident that King Salman’s trip to the UAE will induce a paradigm shift in bilateral ties which are based on the unity of the Emirati-Saudi political leaderships’ will as well as on the common aspirations of the two brotherly peoples,” Sheikh Mohammed added.

Bilateral trade ties between the two countries are also going strong, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UAE, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Bishr, told WAM.

There were 2,366 Saudi companies and 66 trade agencies operating in the UAE at the end of 2015.

“Two-way trade stood at Dhs21.4bn in 2015, exceeding any volume among GCC member states,” he added.