Saudi-UAE Relation: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had threatened to impose sanctions on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a private conversation with journalists last year. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the threat came amid a growing rift between bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Such things reflect the differences between the two countries on regional policies and OPEC borders.
The crown prince told reporters in an off-the-record briefing in December last year that he had sent a list of demands to Abu Dhabi. He warned that Saudi Arabia would take punitive measures against its regional ally if the UAE continued to cut the kingdom. People who attended the meeting quoted him as saying, “This will be worse than what I did to Qatar.”
Saudi banned Qatar in 2017
In 2017, with the support of Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, Saudi imposed a diplomatic embargo on Qatar by imposing an economic blockade for more than three years. Relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar were restored only in 2021. According to Wall Street Journal sources, there is a power struggle between the crown prince and bin Zayed for dominance in the Gulf region and they have not spoken for more than six months. Mohammed bin Salman had told Saudi journalists that UAE has stabbed us in the back. He warned that he would see what I could do.
America’s involvement has decreased
The rift between the UAE and Saudi reflects wider competition for geopolitical and economic influence in the Middle East and global oil markets. In today’s time, America’s involvement in this region has decreased and due to this both the countries are also engaged in reaching out to Russia and China. Concern has increased among American officials regarding this matter.
They fear that Gulf rivalry could hinder efforts to establish a unified security system against Iran, resolve the war in Yemen and expand Israel’s diplomatic ties with Muslim countries.
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