Joint efforts by Saudi Arabia and UAE helped stabilize region
On behalf of the Saudi people and on his own behalf, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Thursday extended warm congratulations to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates and the people of the country, on the occasion of the UAE’s National Day.
In his congratulatory message on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the formation of the UAE, King Salman wished Sheikh Khalifa “constant good health and happiness” and his people steady progress and prosperity. “The king also praised the brotherly relations between the two countries and their people, expressing his keenness on enhancing these relations in all fields,” said a statement carried by SPA.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif also sent his heartfelt congratulations to the UAE president on this occasion. In his message, Crown Prince Mohammed wished Sheikh Khalifa “good health and happiness” and he also wished the UAE nation and its people “steady progress and prosperity.” Also, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, congratulated the UAE president. The UAE is celebrating its National Day today. It has been 45 years since the federation was first established in 1971.
The celebrations began around the UAE and its diplomatic missions in the GCC countries a week before the National Day. More than 219 official events have been lined up in the emirates on the occasion.
With an increasing emphasis on development, innovation and creativity, the future of the UAE and its GCC counterparts is on the right path. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are close allies with unified foreign and defense policies.
On the other hand, the Kingdom and the UAE are prominent members of the GCC and the OIC. To this end, it is important to note that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the two largest contributing nations in the coalition in the Yemeni war.
It is now a widely accepted notion that the 21st century may well be an Asian century just as the 20th was the American and the 19th belonged to Europe.
The Gulf countries will play a key role in shaping the Asian century with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two major countries in the Arabian Peninsula, working together for a sustainable development in the region, with peace and security at the top of their agenda. Youth empowerment is at the forefront of their concerns to enable them to shape the future.
The two neighbors have always had cordial and brotherly relations, cooperating with each other in many fields, including the Saudi-led Arab coalition for the restoration of the legitimate government in Yemen and also the Kingdom-led 34-nation Islamic alliance to combat terrorism.
The UAE has played an important role, lending crucial support to the coalition to save Yemen when “Operation Decisive Storm” was launched in March 2015 to dislodge the reign of terror of the Iran-backed Houthi militias and to restore the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
With war-ravaged Yemen on the brink of chaos because of the Houthis, the military operation led by the Kingdom with the UAE and other Gulf states on board certainly surprised a watching world.
After the Kingdom expressed readiness to send ground troops to Syria as part of an international coalition to fight Daesh militants, the UAE also expressed willingness to put boots on the ground to crush terror.
King Salman and Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi crown prince, attended the signing of the agreement setting up the coordination council in Jeddah.
The joint council aims at strengthening coordination and consultations over topics of mutual concern.
The two leaders held talks on Saudi-UAE strategic relations and ways to take them to greater heights in all spheres in order to serve common interests and strengthen the GCC’s drive, as recommended in all GCC meetings.
Strong religious, historical, social and cultural ties between the two brotherly countries, under the umbrella of the GCC, is going to receive even greater impetus by King Salman who is expected to visit the UAE as part of his upcoming tour of the Gulf countries.
The Kingdom and the UAE share friendly cultural relations, notably, a strong people-to-people relationship, with a huge number of Saudis going to the UAE, especially during the holidays, which is one of their favorite destinations.
Statistics from the UAE tourism authorities for 2014 show that 1.8 million Saudis visited Dubai that year. A huge number of UAE citizens also visit various cultural landmarks and festivals in the Kingdom, including Janadriyah — the national heritage and cultural festival named after the village on the outskirts of Riyadh where it is held annually — reflecting Saudi lifestyle.
Showcasing the customs, traditions, crafts, arts, moral values and ethics of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula, the festival is also an important event for intellectuals and writers, who express themselves through literary and cultural activities, such as, symposiums, seminars and poetry sessions.
There are numerous opportunities for businessmen from the two countries, which share strong trade relations.
0 comments