Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate have formed an exclusive trade and military partnership - a move that could antagonise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is trying to ease tensions amid a six-month blockade of Qatar.
The UAE foreign ministry said today that the emirates and Saudi Arabia would coordinate military, political, economic, trade and cultural fields. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities. The two countries already have close military ties in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Iran-backed rebels.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“For a decision, or an announcement, like that to happen at the summit is something that will be seen, as far as the Kuwaitis are concerned, as quite frankly offensive to their efforts to try and unite the GCC as a region,” says Al Jazeera’s Jamal Elshayyal.
The GCC - a political and economic alliance grouping Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman - has been “riven” with divisions since the Qatari blockade began, according to a report by the AFP news agency.
-
Political cartoons for January 26Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include an ICE storm, the TikTok takeover, and Iranian-style reform
-
Winter storm lashes much of US South, East CoastSpeed Read The storm spread across 2,000 miles of the country
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purge
Speed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
