Riyadh (Somalia Today) — Senior Saudi and Emirati officials issued closely coordinated messages on Tuesday affirming the two Gulf powers’ shared history and leadership, in an apparent effort to ease months of unusually public tensions.
Saudi Media Minister Salman Al-Dosary and Abdulla bin Mohammed Alhamed, chairman of the UAE National Media Authority, published similar statements on X at exactly 7:00 pm in Riyadh.
“Emirati-Saudi relations are an extension of a shared history and deep-rooted fraternal ties between two brotherly peoples, united by a single destiny,” Alhamed wrote.
Al-Dosary described the relationship as one between “two peoples united by a shared history and heritage, and wise leadership in both countries”.
Both officials said the media should reflect those ties and avoid content that could undermine them.
The coordinated posts followed months of open criticism from influential commentators, social media accounts and some news organisations in both countries.
Neither government announced a formal diplomatic initiative, and Saudi officials did not say what prompted the messages.
‘Brotherly relations’
The statements came shortly after another carefully presented display of unity involving senior figures close to the two ruling families.
An hour earlier, Turki Alalshikh, a close confidant of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, shared what he said was a photograph from several days earlier.
The image showed Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan smiling with their arms around each other.
“Saudi Arabia and the UAE: a story of brotherly relations and a deeply rooted partnership,” Alalshikh wrote.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, responded with an Arabic proverb.
“Spears, when together, refuse to be broken… and break if they part,” he said.
The warm public exchange contrasted sharply with the tensions that emerged late last year over Yemen, where Riyadh and Abu Dhabi supported rival factions within the coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
The dispute escalated when Saudi Arabia carried out an air strike on what it said was a shipment of UAE military equipment intended for an Abu Dhabi-backed Yemeni faction.
The episode exposed a rare confrontation between the two countries, which had entered the Yemen war as close allies in 2015.
Their priorities later diverged, with Saudi Arabia backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the UAE developing close ties with southern separatist forces.
Economic rivalry
The Yemen dispute deepened tensions already fuelled by disagreements over oil production, regional influence and competition between Riyadh and Dubai as leading business centres.
Saudi Arabia has sought to turn Riyadh into the Gulf’s main commercial hub, introducing rules designed to encourage international companies to move their regional headquarters to the kingdom.
The push has challenged Dubai’s long-established role as the region’s leading centre for trade, finance and tourism.
Disagreements have also surfaced over oil policy.
The UAE previously challenged Saudi-backed production plans within the OPEC oil producers’ group, arguing that its rising production capacity entitled it to a higher output quota.
Tensions became more visible this year.
Some Emirati companies withdrew from a major defence exhibition in Riyadh in February, while the UAE blocked the X accounts of Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television in March.
The most significant break came in May, when the UAE left OPEC and the wider OPEC+ alliance effectively led by Saudi Arabia.
UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei described the withdrawal as a “sovereign and strategic” decision.
He said the move was “not driven by political considerations” and did not reflect a split with the UAE’s regional partners.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE also differed over how the Gulf should respond to the war involving Iran, despite both countries facing threats to their security and energy infrastructure.
Regional pressure
Growing regional threats have recently strengthened calls for unity among the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have renewed threats against Red Sea shipping and announced what they described as a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia.
The group also threatened ships using Saudi ports near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key gateway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi military spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said threats against commercial vessels would receive a “swift and firm” response.
He described the threats as a violation of international law and an act of maritime piracy.
The renewed pressure has highlighted the security interests shared by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, even as the two countries increasingly compete over economic and geopolitical influence.
Mohammed Baharoon, director-general of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center, played down the depth of the dispute.
“I think what we witnessed was a storm in a cup,” he said.
“We have seen worse before, but it was never strategic.”
Baharoon said the two countries had probably adjusted their policies in response to their disagreements.
“I am sure there has been adaptation from both parties, but the reality remains that what we have in common far outweighs our divergences,” he said.
