UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has written to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman inviting him to Abu Dhabi for the UN Water Conference this December. The public invitation used warm, traditional language regarding shared history and fraternal ties, even as relations between the two countries have become strained over the past year.
What began as quiet policy disagreements has evolved into open confrontation. Saudi forces struck the Yemeni port of Al Mukalla in December to target weapons shipments Riyadh stated were bound for UAE-backed separatist fighters, marking an unprecedented direct military move between the allies. Additionally, the countries have split over Sudan’s civil war—with Riyadh backing the national army and Abu Dhabi widely accused of supporting the rival paramilitary force—and over Somalia, where the UAE remained silent while Saudi Arabia condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. Regional analysts describe the relationship as shifting from rivalry to a genuine rupture with little sign of returning to normal.
Despite these tensions, the invitation keeps a direct channel open at the highest level. Whether King Salman attends, and how the two leaders interact if he does, will be watched closely as a signal regarding the state of the rift.