UAE and Saudi officials signal possible easing of rift

Senior officials and ministers in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have posted messages about friendship and unity on social media, signalling a possible easing of tensions months after a public dispute between the two countries.

On Tuesday evening, Saudi General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh posted a photo that he said was taken a few days earlier. The image showed Saudi Defence Minister Khaled bin Salman alongside Emirati Vice President Mansour bin Zayed. Alalshikh described Saudi-UAE ties as brotherly and as a strong partnership.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash also shared the photo, saying it captured what he called the biggest story in the Gulf.

The posts followed months of sharp online debate by commentators from both countries. The source said Saudi Arabia had also launched a media campaign earlier this year against the UAE.

The two governments had a public falling out in December, when Saudi Arabia accused Abu Dhabi of threatening its national security by supporting Yemeni separatists who carried out a brief offensive. The two countries have also differed over foreign policy in Yemen, Sudan and the Horn of Africa, where they have backed rival forces.

Their differences also appeared during the Iran conflict. Saudi Arabia supported Pakistani mediation efforts, while the UAE initially took a more hawkish position toward Tehran before a US-Iran memorandum of understanding was signed last month.

The apparent thaw came as US-Iran hostilities resumed this month, leading to renewed Iranian attacks across the Gulf. Tehran's Houthi allies in Yemen also increased pressure by threatening a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia.

UAE National Media Authority chairman Abdulla Alhamed and Saudi Media Minister Salman Aldosary posted similar messages on X on Tuesday praising relations between the two countries and their leaders. Aldosary said responsible media should counter attempts to present a misleading image of the relationship and should ensure accuracy in published information.