UAE FM praised for supporting Saudi Arabia

Manama: Saudis have heaped praise on UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan after he posted a tweet contrasting the use of cranes in Saudi Arabia and Iran.

"In Saudi Arabia, cranes are used to protect animals, while in Iran they are used to hang people," Shaikh Abdullah posted on his Twitter account where he has more than 2,530,000 followers.

Shaikh Abdullah posted a link showing how a cat that became entangled on wire was rescued by a man who used a crane to reach the cat and bring it down to earth.

Public executions in Iran are carried out by hanging, and cranes are used to pull up prisoners by their necks.

According to a human rights watchdog, "it takes the prisoners many minutes to die."

"It is a way of torturing them along with the execution," the activist told IBTimes UK. "Hanging is not intended as the standard way of momentary pain. It is not that they just die, it is a slow strangulation."

Saudis said that the post by Shaikh Abdullah reflected the "courageous stance of the UAE people with Saudi Arabia."

"We hail Shaikh Abdullah and we pray for the soul of his father," the Stubborn, an online user, posted. "This is fully in line with the loyalty and support from the people of the UAE. We appreciate their particular boldness."

Visitor, another user, said that he fully appreciated how the Emiratis and the Saudis are keeping one another close in their hearts and minds.

"God bless you and all the rulers of the UAE. You have been loyal and you stood with us during our easy and hard times. History will always recall how special you are. May your country live in eternal prosperity."