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Following a rare dispute between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over technical questions of oil policy, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, met in the Saudi capital on Monday, Riyadh, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The public clash between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi earlier this month disrupted the oil policy definition of the OPEC + group, which includes OPEC countries and a number of allies.
But an agreement between the two oil-producing Gulf countries allowed OPEC + to reach an agreement last Sunday to increase crude supplies.
Saudi writer and political analyst Abdul Rahman al-Mulhim says the meeting between Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi is part of the regular exchange visits between the Saudi and Emirati leaders to strengthen the strong ties and relationships. , adding to the Al-Hurra website: “There are those who believe that tensions have arisen between the two allies, but the truth is the opposite.”
On Twitter, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed said: “Today I was delighted to meet my brother, Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh. We discussed strengthening our well-established brotherly relations and strategic cooperation. partnership between the UAE and Saudi Arabia is strong. and continuing for the good of both countries and the region. “
Today I had the pleasure of meeting my brother, Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh. We discussed strengthening our strong brotherly relationships and strategic cooperation. The partnership between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia is strong and ongoing for the benefit of both countries and the Region. pic.twitter.com/yGcm6x6K8L
– Mohammed ben Zayed (@MohamedBinZayed) July 19, 2021
The visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi comes at a time when Western agencies and international newspapers, including Reuters, say increased economic competition reveals differences between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in conjunction with the Kingdom’s attempts to challenge the hegemony of the UAE as a regional center for business, commerce and tourism.
However, UAE political analyst Majid Al-Raisi reiterates the views of previous analysts that there are no differences or tensions, telling the “Al-Hurra” website: “Relations between the two countries cannot be limited to the difference of points of view. in OPEC + ”, emphasizing the importance of the difference being on technical, not strategic, issues. .
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were immediate supporters of increased oil production, but the UAE opposed Saudi Arabia’s proposal to extend the supply management deal until December 2022. if they did not get a higher production quota.
The group, which includes OPEC countries and allies such as Russia, has decisively agreed on new production quotas from May 2022 after Saudi Arabia and others countries accepted a request from the United Arab Emirates that posed a threat to the plan.
Al-Raisi said: “Recent events reflect how much the management of the differences of views between the two countries has matured, and this indicates greater strength, not only in UAE-Saudi relations, but also in terms of of the axis of moderation in the Arab world. “
The two countries had joined forces to strengthen their position in the Middle East and abroad and to fight Islamic groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which both countries put on terrorist lists.
When the royal family talks nobody walks pic.twitter.com/LovCD53KwW
– Abdulkhaleq Abdulla (@Abdulkhaleq_UAE) July 19, 2021
At a press conference, UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei praised the “OPEC +” deal, while his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, declined answer questions on how the two countries might reach a compromise.
And the Saudi Minister of Energy said: “Why should I mention everything, this is an art I keep a secret and we all keep it. You always appreciate that we are not competent, or that we are not intelligent or diplomats, and also you had a blind vision of what unites us, what unites us more than what you write. ” Unfortunately”.
role in Yemen
Al-Raisi believes that the sentence “what brings us together is more than what you unfortunately write” of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman “applies to several files between the two countries, including the Yemeni file”.
A day before the announcement of the OPEC + deal, commentators loyal to the Saudi government publicly criticized the UAE’s role in Yemen.
Political writer Suleiman Al-Aqili said in a tweet on Twitter: “If Abu Dhabi does not help implement the Riyadh deal linked to the crisis in southern Yemen and remains unchanged by disrupting it, I think Saudi-UAE relations will continue to be tested! ” Al-Uqaibi did not respond to Al-Hurra’s calls for comment.
If Abu Dhabi does not help to implement #Riyad_Agreement linked to the crisis in the south #Whose And it stayed the same by turning it off, so I think the relationships #Saudi The UAE will remain to the test!
– Suleiman Al-Aqeli (@aloqeliy) July 17, 2021
A few days earlier, Abdullah Al-Hatila, deputy editor of the semi-official Saudi newspaper Okaz, wrote on Twitter: “The Kingdom is the only country that has no ambitions in Yemen … Its only ambition is security and stability of Yemen because of its neighborhood and the kinship ties between the two peoples and the common interests between the two countries. “
He added, “The kingdom, the government and the people, will not allow anyone to tamper with the security of Yemen to undermine its security. If he is patient, he has limits.
For those whose heart is an illness. #The kingdom It is the only country that has no ambitions #WhoseIts only ambition is the security and stability of Yemen by virtue of its neighborhood, the kinship ties between the two peoples and the common interests between the two countries.
The Kingdom, the government and the people, will not allow anyone to tamper with the security of Yemen to undermine its security #patience he has limits-Abdullah Al Hutaila (@ ahatayla2020) July 15, 2021
Saudi Arabia is trying to contain a power struggle in southern Yemen between the recognized Riyadh-backed government and the main separatist group, threatening to expand a war that Saudi Arabia is trying to break out of.
Al-Raisi comments: “Personal opinions do not at all reflect the strong reality that unites the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Social media accounts remain personal and do not reflect the directions of governments.”
“If the situation depends on these tweets and social networks, countries will not have good relations with each other,” he added.
The UAE is a member of the Riyadh-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, after ousting the government from the capital, Sana’a.
Al-Mulhim also opposes talking about a dispute between the UAE and Saudi Arabia over the situation in Yemen, claiming that Abu Dhabi has sided with Saudi Arabia in the Houthi war. and is always present and has its strengths.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit was preceded by Major General Saleh Al-Amiri, Commander of Joint Operations at the UAE Ministry of Defense, who met Major General Mutlaq Al-Mutairi, Commander of Joint Forces and Deputy Chief of Staff in Saudi Arabia. Arabia, during his visit to the leadership of the Arab coalition forces in Riyadh. It should be noted that Abu Dhabi ended its military presence in Yemen in 2019.
Riyadh had negotiated a power-sharing agreement, which has not yet been fully implemented, between the forces of the Southern Transition Council, which are also members of the Saudi military coalition, and has twice taken control. of the southern port city of Aden, and the Saudi-backed Government.
And if the council obstructs the implementation of the Riyadh accord, Al-Raisi said: “The Transitional Council is not affiliated with the Emirates at all,” adding: “I think the Yemeni scene is managed today. ‘hui under the leadership of the Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates are with them in all strategic directions. “
Al-Mulhim said, “There may be small differences in views which are quickly resolved. “
“The position of Al-Aqili or the deputy editor of Okaz does not necessarily signify the official position of the two countries,” he added.
Economic competition
Amid their preparations for the post-oil phase, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates seek to exploit their significant oil reserves, as economic competition intensifies between them and they compete to attract investors and businesses.
From 2024, Saudi Arabia will stop granting government contracts to any foreign company or commercial institution with regional headquarters in the Middle East in a country other than the Kingdom, according to the Saudi News Agency published last February. .
The UAE has taken seriously the threat from Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy, the world’s largest oil exporter and the region’s largest importer.
The decision to force international companies to open offices in the Kingdom or to boycott them may harm other Gulf countries which are much weaker economically than the Emirates … the Emirates … are in good health, God be praised.
– Dhahi Khalfan Tamim (@Dhahi_Khalfan) February 17, 2021
The Saudi move has been criticized by former Emirati officials, including former director general of the Dubai finance department, Nasser Al-Sheikh, who said Riyadh’s decision was at odds with the principles of the Gulf Single Market.
And he wrote on Twitter after the Saudi announcement, saying: “Global experiences and history have proven that forced attraction is not sustainable.”
Transcontinental companies and banks based in Dubai for 30 years to manage their operations and branches in 50 countries, from India to Morocco and Turkey to Nigeria, have chosen Dubai over others because of the quality of life. , competitive advantages, legislation and social environment and a unique infrastructure and will not leave it, yet a million welcome competition pic.twitter.com/ec7jPlvssk
– Abdulkhaleq Abdulla (@Abdulkhaleq_UAE) February 17, 2021
Earlier in July, Saudi Arabia changed import rules from other Gulf Cooperation Council member states to exclude goods produced in free zones or that use Israeli components from preferential tariff concessions.
And if the relationship of the Emirates and Saudi Arabia awaits a future economic clash, Al-Mulhim says: “We cannot say Saddam, but the Kingdom is the largest economy in the Gulf and Arab (…) The prince heir looks forward to very strong economic growth for the Kingdom, which has become a globally competitive economic player.
On whether Riyadh’s decision contradicts the principles of the Gulf Single Market, he said: “Economic integration among the GCC states is unified, and there are points of agreement in the document establishing the GCC states, and the kingdom also considers the interests of the GCC states in the first place. “
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