Dubai: Saudi Arabia and the UAE are more than neighbours or members of the same union. The bonds that connect the two countries have become stronger and deeper in the face of the storm that is sweeping many parts of the Arab region and these became projected in the response from the emirates to Saudi Arabia’s 86th National Day.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, seized the opportunity of the Saudi National Day to praise the Saudi role in reviving the spirit of solidarity among Arabs and Muslims.
Shaikh Mohammed said that the 86th Saudi National Day “has deep meanings, the launch of Saudi Arabia’s march of giving and serving Muslims”, tweeted on his account.
“We would like to congratulate Saudi Arabia’s leadership and people on their National Day, and we appreciate the stances of King of Saudi Arabia that brought back the spirit of cohesion and solidarity among Arabs and Muslims,” Shaikh Mohammad said in a tweet.
“We celebrate this glorious occasion, and renew our solidarity with Saudi Arabia, and we join them in their determination as we look forward to a joint bright future,” Shaikh Mohammad tweeted.
The turmoil that swept many Middle Eastern and North African countries in the past few years brought Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates closer.
Apart from being members of the six-member Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and among the top five members of the Organisation of Oil Producing Countries (Opec), both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have taken identical stances on many regional issues, to the extent that it was described as a “stronger alliance” between the two.
The UAE is part of the Saudi-led Arab coalition aiming to restore the internationally reorganised government in Yemen. They also share the same view on developments in Syria, Iraq and Egypt.
On the occasion of Saudi National Day, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday renamed Al Sufouh Street in Dubai after Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.
The move reflects Shaikh Mohammad’s appreciation of the role played by King Salman, as well as the depth of relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street (Al Sufouh Street) is a vital road that includes many prominent landmarks such as Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Al Qasr Hotel and Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Hotel.
