RIYADH — September 29, 2026: United Arab Emirates Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday for talks with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defence Prince Khalid bin Salman, in the first high-level face-to-face meeting between the two Gulf states since their public rift over Yemen.
Sheikh Mansour was received at King Khalid International Airport by Prince Khalid bin Salman, the UAE’s official news agency WAM reported. He also serves as Chairman of the Presidential Court.
Talks on Fraternal Ties
During a meeting in Riyadh, the two leaders discussed fraternal relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and ways to strengthen them across various fields, state media reported. The discussions focused on developing ties in a manner serving the mutual interests of both countries and bringing prosperity to their peoples, WAM said.
Sheikh Mansour was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Ali Saeed Matar Al Neyadi, Chairman of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority; and Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, alongside a number of senior officials.
Invitation Came Amid Mounting Pressure
The visit followed an invitation extended by Prince Khalid bin Salman on Monday. The Saudi defence ministry said in a statement on X that the minister had invited “his brother” Sheikh Mansour to visit the kingdom on Tuesday. The UAE confirmed the trip, describing it as a “fraternal visit.”
The invitation was the first public one for a face-to-face meeting since the two countries fell out over Yemen. The UAE withdrew from Yemen earlier this year after Saudi Arabia accused it of backing a military operation by Yemeni separatists that Riyadh said posed a national security threat to the kingdom, Reuters reported.
Signs of a thaw appeared in July, when top officials and ministers from both countries posted messages about friendship and unity on social media.
Riyadh Rallies Allies as Houthi Attacks Intensify
The Saudi olive branch comes as the kingdom faces weeks of attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis, who have fired salvos of missiles and drones at the kingdom and seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast from Saudi-backed government forces. Riyadh has been reaching out to international allies for support, with Saudi military chiefs holding talks last week with counterparts from Turkey and Pakistan.
It remains unclear whether the kingdom’s invitation was aimed at securing renewed Emirati cooperation against the Houthis, diplomats said.
Analysts said the visit signals that Gulf coordination is back on track at a moment of acute regional tension, even as the two countries continue to pursue different approaches in Yemen.
