A new era is dawning in UAE-Saudi relations

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), the two countries in the Middle East region, have a long history of friendship. The two countries are the dominant economic players in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 

The diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE grew after the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011. The two countries also sought improved relations in various sectors, including tourism, financial services, petrochemicals, and technological sectors.

UAE-Saudi relations

Saudi Arabia maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. The UAE also maintains an embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. 

Saudi Arabia also has a consulate in Dubai, a city in the UAE, while the UAE has a consulate in Jeddah, a city in Saudi Arabia. The two countries share extensive political and cultural ties.

The two countries have also cooperated to establish peace in the Middle East region. Recently, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the United States also held a meeting in order to achieve peace and stability in Yemen.

Emirati-Saudi trade relations

The trade relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia have increased in recent years. The UAE is also among the top 10 trading partners of the Kingdom. 

The report released by the General Authority for Statistics, a government agency in Saudi Arabia, revealed that Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports showed positive results in the first 6 months of 2023. The UAE and the US featured in the top 10 destinations for Saudi exports. On the import side, Saudi imports to the UAE was estimated to be SR3.6 billion. Last year, non-oil imports from Saudi Arabia to the UAE were estimated to be 34 billion dirhams. The non-oil exports from the UAE to Saudi Arabia was estimated to be 35.6 billion dirhams. 

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UAE, Saudi Arabia and US cooperate to establish peace in Yemen

The ministers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the US also held a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session on Tuesday. The three countries also discussed the current situation in war-torn country, Yemen. 

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates; Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah bin Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia; and Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, met on 20 September. During the meeting, Blinken called for an increased shared commitment to advance peace in Yemen. 

The three ministers called for an increased cooperation among the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the US to advance UN-led peace efforts in Yemen.

Recently, Saudi Arabia hosted five days of talks with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in order to establish peace in Yemen. After the meeting, the Houthis returned to Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. The Houthi militia said that the talks were positive.