UAE’s Sheikh Mansour to visit Saudi Arabia amid strained ties
The two Gulf countries have been at odds over Yemen, where Saudi Arabia backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government, while the UAE has supported the separatist Southern Transitional Council.
The United Arab Emirates’ vice president, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday amid signs of rapprochement between the two Gulf states.
What happened: The Emirati official news agency WAM said Monday that Sheikh Mansour would visit the kingdom at the invitation of Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s defense minister and the younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi Press Agency confirmed the invitation.
Sheikh Mansour was last in Saudi Arabia in July, when he led the UAE delegation to an Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh.
صورة تجمع سمو الأمير خالد بن سلمان مع أخيه سمو الشيخ منصور بن زايد قبل عدة أيام .
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) July 21, 2026
السعودية و الإمارات قصة علاقات أخوية وشراكة راسخة 🇸🇦🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/l9WrNI720W
On July 21, Saudi General Entertainment Authority chief Turki Alalshikh posted a photograph showing Sheikh Mansour and Prince Khalid with their arms around each other. Reuters reported that other senior Saudi and Emirati media officials also posted messages the same day emphasizing the countries’ ties.
