On Monday, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, also known by his initials MbZ, paid a visit to Saudi Arabia. During his visit to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the Emirati Crown Prince held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The visit came at a time of heightened tension between the two Gulf neighbors, clearly observed during the OPEC+ meeting held earlier this month.
Following the meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed shared a message on his official Twitter account, written as: “My brother Mohammed bin Salman and I discussed ways to deepen further the fraternal bond and strategic cooperation between our nations. The partnership between the UAE and Saudi Arabia continues to be strong and prosperous.”
The two Gulf allies came face to face at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting, which was held earlier this month to decide oil production policy when the UAE opposed a set of decisions proposed by the organization. Following the two Gulf oil producer neighbors coming to an agreement, OPEC+ announced on Sunday that the agreement had been reached to boost oil supplies.
The disagreement that occurred at the OPEC meeting came as the latest example of series of clashes of interests escalates between the two Gulf states in recent times. Particularly, since Saudi Arabia has taken steps to challenge its neighbor’s dominance over the region’s business, trade, and tourism sectors, this conflict has been fueled.
