The rare public tension between Saudi Arabia and the UAE has decreased, after days of media exchanges, which came after the Minister of Energy, Abdulaziz bin Salman, publicly criticized Abu Dhabi’s intransigence in accepting the Saudi-Russian initiative of “OPEC Plus” regarding increasing oil production.

Despite the relative calm, neither of the two sides has ceded to the other, and therefore the UAE, unlike the rest of the organization, continues to reject the Saudi-Russian initiative, and even demands an unconditional increase in production in the period between August and next December, given that the market needs urgently to increase production.

The relationship was also strained by Saudi Arabia’s decision to prevent incoming and outgoing flights to and from the Emirates, due to the spread of the mutated Indian version of the “Corona” virus in it, which provoked Emirati discontent.

The Saudi-Emirati dispute surfaced after differences emerged between the two parties in other political and economic files during the past few years.

Yemen war:

Since the first day of its intervention in Yemen, in April 2015, Saudi Arabia announced that it supports the legitimate government led by President Abd Rabbuh Hadi Mansour, and opposes any separatist project.

But the UAE, openly, supported the Southern Transitional Council, which does not hide its separatist intentions, and also attacked the legitimate government several times, accusing it of being infiltrated by the Islah party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

What increased speculation about the outbreak of a dispute between the two parties, is the transitional council’s coup against the Riyadh agreement several times during the previous months, knowing that the leadership of the council resides in Abu Dhabi, and does not deny its political subordination to it.

The dispute over the goals was early, as the UAE announced, through the commander of its forces that participated in the Yemen war, Issa Al-Mazrouei, that the goal of the intervention was to fight “Al-Houthi, the Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS,” a statement made at a time when Saudi Arabia is still hosting the leaders of the Islah party.

One of the divergent steps between the two parties was in July 2019, when the UAE announced the withdrawal of a large part of its forces from Yemen, in a unilateral declaration in which Saudi Arabia did not participate, although they constitute the weight of the coalition forces to support legitimacy.

Although Saudi Arabia is the holder of the military weight in Yemen, and has killed more than one of its soldiers, the UAE is the one who currently controls strategic ports through which the global trade movement passes, including the port of Aden.

The UAE also controls the island of Socotra, and documents revealed that it operates tourist flights from the Emirates to the island, bypassing permission from the legitimate Saudi-backed government.

Relationship with Iran:

In July 2019, the month in which it announced its withdrawal from Yemen, the UAE hosted an Iranian delegation, the first since 2013.

The meeting, which brought together coast guard commanders between the two countries, aimed to improve maritime cooperation in the Strait of Hormuz.

At the height of the political tension between Riyadh and Tehran, the volume of mutual trade between Iran and the UAE reached about $19 billion.

And in March of last year, the UAE sent two planes loaded with 32 tons of aid to Iran, which was decimating the Corona epidemic at the time.

The irony is that the friendly relationship began to return between the UAE and Iran, although the declared position of Saudi Arabia at the time was total hostility to Iran, and the Crown Prince of Riyadh, Muhammad bin Salman, threatened to move the battle to the heart of Tehran, before retracting that in statements last Ramadan.

– Foreign companies:

Last February, Saudi Finance Minister Muhammad Al-Jadaan announced that, as of 2024, the government would stop granting government contracts to any foreign company or commercial institution that has a regional headquarters in the Middle East in any country other than the Kingdom. (Here)

The Saudi decision, interpreted by Reuters, is the latest attempt by Riyadh to reshape itself as a financial and tourism hub, under the leadership of the de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

However, it will not be easy to challenge Dubai’s dominance in the neighboring Emirates, as the commercial and financial capital of the region.

Through the state-run Al-Ekhbariya channel, the Saudi economist Fahd bin Jumaa said; The decision “gives companies time to think; Because the decision will be firm.”

He continued, “If they want to deal with Saudi Arabia, they should come to Riyadh.”

However, the UAE strongly rejected this decision, but without issuing an official statement, as the Saudi decision was criticized by Emirati economists, in addition to policy experts such as Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, and security officials led by Dhahi Khalfan.

Abdullah said; The transcontinental companies and banks that have been based in Dubai for 30 years to run their operations and branches in 50 countries from India to Morocco and from Turkey to Nigeria, chose Dubai over others because of the quality of life, competitive advantages, legislative and social environment and a unique infrastructure and will not leave it, despite that. with competition.”

Emirati economist Nasser Al-Sheikh said; The Saudi decision contradicts the principle of the “unified Gulf market.”

He continued, “History has proven that forced attraction is unsustainable and that it is more useful to improve the environment, as the Kingdom announced.”

Sovereignty and Buying Loyalties:

The Emirati media praises the position that Abu Dhabi has reached regionally, as it has become a party to the equation of several Arab countries, such as Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, and others.

And from time to time, the academic Abdul Khaleq Abdullah tweets that the symbol “971” (the key to the Emirates), is the strongest in decision-making in the region, which raises widespread Saudi discontent.

Saudi opponents, including Saad al-Faqih, Omar al-Zahrani, and others, agree that Mohammed bin Zayed imposes his political decision on his counterpart, Mohammed bin Salman.

However, the jurist said recently; The tension that took place is a real dispute that reached its climax for the first time between the two parties, hinting that Bin Salman wants to get out of the mantle of Bin Zayed.

The other thing that irritates the Saudi government, according to observers, is the UAE’s continued “buying” of the loyalties of Saudi personalities, most of whom are active in the media field.

The Saudi dissident residing in London, Hussain Al-Qahtani, said in a previous statement toArabic21“; The UAE is lavishing money and privileges on well-known Saudi media professionals, including the current ambassador to Riyadh in Abu Dhabi Turki al-Dakhil.

In May 2019, the writer Mansour Al-Nogaidan appeared on the Saudi “Rotana Gulf” screen, talking about his experience in moving from jihadist thought to liberalism, ending with heading the Emirati Al-Misbar Center for Studies of Islamic Attitudes.

The interviewer, Abdullah Al-Mudaifer, asked his criticizing guest whether he had really obtained Emirati citizenship, which means that he had given up his Saudi citizenship by law, to which the latter replied: “Yes, I am proud of it (Emirati nationality), I saw good here, living here and dying here.” .

Al-Mudaifer asked Al-Naqidan about his position in the event of a dispute between the two countries, to which the latter answered: “This is a question that is a myth and has no meaning.”

Al-Naqidan’s position is adopted by dozens of Saudi media professionals who have remained silent about the declared dispute with Abu Dhabi, in contrast to their country’s crisis with Qatar when they took the lead in attacking Doha.

Gulf reconciliation:

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain completed a Gulf reconciliation with Qatar in early 2021, after a break that lasted about three and a half years.

However, reconciliation emerged bilaterally between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with friendly scenes in the city of Al-Ula between Mohammed bin Salman and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad.

Riyadh and Doha exchanged contacts and visits at the highest levels, with the appointment of new ambassadors from the ruling family.

However, this did not happen between Qatar and the UAE, with media exchanges continuing at a lesser pace between the two parties.

Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih said; The UAE was pressuring Saudi Arabia to prevent reconciliation with Qatar, which actually happened between 2018-2020 with the failure of Kuwaiti mediation.

However, the loss of former US President Donald Trump prompted him to force the blockading countries to reconciliation as a final political victory for him before he left the White House, according to Al-Faqih.