UAE-Saudi ties go a long way

To understand the importance of the Gulf Cooperation Council in the region and the wider Middle East, it is important to understand two of its key players, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and their steady hand. These are troubled times. There’s sectarianism that is being pushed from across the Arabian Gulf, in Iran. Movements are springing across the Middle East that threaten peace. Players from outside are influencing events in the region. Syria, Iraq and Yemen are riven by conflicts, though an uneasy calm prevails over Syria, again brought about by Russian and Iranian support for President Assad. In this scenario, the GCC remains rock solid, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia emerging as pillars of the group, the voices of reason crying out in the wilderness of hate and despair. The Gulf countries perceive a threat to one partner seriously, and will act together against that threat. Sectarian fires in Bahrain were stoked by Iran, which was met by a strong military response from the GCC. Yemen is on the boil because of Tehran’s meddling, and the coalition led by Saudi Arabia is waging a long battle to oust the Houthi rebels. This is an emotional cause for the Gulf countries.

Together with Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar, the GCC is a grouping that is to be reckoned with economically and politically. Abu Dhabi and Riyadh believe that only a united GCC can take on challenges that are thrown at them. These conflicts are not of their making, but have their origins in the Palestinian right to self rule, and the more recent Iraq and Afghanistan invasions. The war on terror was a failure, and the reluctance of the United States to further engage in the region gave the Russians and Iranians an opening to make their mark. Former US president Barack Obama made it easy for Tehran through the nuclear deal, and the regime is now asserting itself through its puppets and proxies. The UAE and Saudi Arabia will have none of it. Deeper political and economic cooperation between the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi is, therefore, vital to secure the region and to keep the engine of growth running.