Saudi-Emirati Summit in Riyadh: Palestine Takes Center Stage, Yemen in the Background

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Saudi-Emirati Summit in Riyadh: Palestine in the Forefront... and Yemen in the Background Riyadh – Bahralarab Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Riyadh today, Wednesday, in a summit described as "fraternal" that carried multiple political messages and affirmed the depth of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Palestine in the Forefront According to official statements, the Palestinian issue topped the agenda of the talks, with both sides stressing their support for the two-state solution and rejecting any measures that would undermine peace opportunities, affirming their commitment to continuing diplomatic efforts to protect Palestinian rights and enhance stability in the region. The two leaders also reviewed avenues of bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic and investment files, while emphasizing the unity of the Gulf position in the face of regional challenges. Yemen... The Absent Present File Although the Yemeni file was not mentioned in the official statements following the summit, observers believe that it is necessarily present in the unannounced discussions, given that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have played pivotal and intertwined roles in the Yemeni arena since 2015. It is likely that recent developments – especially the economic collapse and the salary crisis, in addition to the increasing popular criticism of foreign interventions – have imposed themselves on the table of talks, albeit with a degree of secrecy. For Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Yemen is no longer just an ongoing file, but a test of the credibility of their regional policies. Although the two countries raise the slogan of supporting stability, many hold their "blatant" intervention as a fundamental part of complicating the scene and turning the war into an economy of influence and intertwined interests.