Senior Saudi and UAE officials praised their countries’ shared history, “wise leadership,” and “brotherly relations,” signaling that both sides are trying to move beyond tensions that spilled into public view last year.
The online posts followed the release of a photo showing the Saudi defense minister and the UAE’s deputy prime minister smiling with their arms around each other’s shoulders. It is unclear when and where the image was taken, but it echoed an event around the easing of Qatar’s rift with its neighbors in 2021, when a casual photo of the Saudi crown prince, Qatar’s ruler, and the UAE’s national security adviser (two of the three in shorts) helped signal reconciliation.
The Saudi-UAE split was driven by disputes over Yemen, Sudan, and broader economic and geopolitical rivalry. But the Iran war has brought their shared security threat into focus, making the other differences — though largely unresolved — appear secondary to the need for regional unity.