Atwan examined; Where does the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UAE stand? Why are the tensions escalating between the two oil rich countries?Where does the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UAE stand? Why are the tensions escalating between the two oil rich countries?
Abdul Bari Atwan, a leading Arab analyst and editor-in-chief of the Rai Al-Youm newspaper, wrote in an article on recent tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at OPEC Plus that Arab Gulf states have always tended to distance themselves from other Arabs over the past 30 years. They wanted to separate this difference not only in the amount of wealth but also in terms of the ability of these countries to control their own affairs and to establish stability and prevent similar revolutions in other Arab countries.
These countries also sought to protect their collective identity in the Persian Gulf region and to unite with each other. But a brief look at the GCC’s regional system and relations between the GCC countries over the recent period offers a completely different picture of what those countries aspired to.
After the crisis in relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UAE and Bahrain and Egypt with Qatar, the differences and conflicts between the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council were clearly seen and their alliance was on the verge of erosion, which has recently reached its peak with the escalation of differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. .
But these days we are witnessing the escalation of the dispute between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which has recently been extended to OPEC Plus; In an unusual request, the United Arab Emirates opposed an agreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia to increase oil production from August to December.
The unprecedented tensions that have erupted over the past two days between Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and his Emirati counterpart Sohail al-Mazrouei mark the beginning of a new round of tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. In an unprecedented move, the Saudi Minister of Energy sharply criticized the UAE for their opposition to the Riyadh-Moscow agreement in OPEC Plus, in response to which Soheil al-Mazrouei accused Saudi Arabia of trying to impose its views and prioritize its own interests over the interests of others. The UAE has always supported Saudi Arabia’s position and made many sacrifices for it, but now it wants to make a fair profit in proportion to its sacrifices and huge investments in the oil industry.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been rising for at least the past three years, and the oil dispute has become a new excuse for a resurgence.
