President Sheikh Mohamed welcomes Saudi crown prince on landmark UAE visit

United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to the UAE on Sunday, marking the Saudi leader's first such visit to the country in three years.

The two leaders met at Qasr Al Rawdha in Al Ain, where Sheikh Mohamed described the UAE as the Saudi Crown Prince’s “second home,” according to the UAE state news agency WAM.

During the meeting, Mohammed bin Salman conveyed greetings from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, along with his wishes for the UAE’s continued prosperity. He also congratulated Sheikh Mohamed on the UAE’s 53rd National Day, expressing hope for further growth and success for the nation and its people.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing Gulf cooperation, advancing joint efforts for regional security, and fostering Arab unity in the face of shared challenges.

They also reviewed regional and international developments, emphasizing the need for stability in the Middle East. The leaders reiterated their support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, advocating for a just and lasting peace to ensure security and stability across the region, WAM reported.

The two leaders met at Qasr Al Rawdha in Al Ain.WAM

The meeting followed a dinner hosted by the UAE president in honor of the Saudi crown prince.

The visit comes days ahead of a Dec. 5 OPEC+ oil policy meeting that had been postponed from Sunday, according to Reuters.

OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies such as Russia, had postponed its meeting on the back of a Gulf Summit scheduled for Sunday in Kuwait.

High-Level delegations

The meeting was attended by several UAE dignitaries, including:

• Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi
• Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation
• Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior
• Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs
• Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs

Also present were Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President, alongside other Sheikhs.

The Saudi delegation accompanying Prince Mohammed included:

• Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Defence
• Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Sports

Earlier in the day, Sheikh Mohamed led the welcoming committee at Al Ain airport, where he was joined by Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, , among other officials.

(With additional input from Reuters)