Cairo (AFP) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday met Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the presidency said, amid rising tensions in the Gulf.
“Both sides discussed the latest situation in the region in light of the events the Gulf witnessed of sabotage attacks on four vessels off the coast of the Emirates and the attack against two oil pumping stations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” a presidency statement said.
Attacks on ships and oil installations in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week have come as the United States and Iran remain locked in a standoff.
On the bilateral front, the UAE has been a firm regional backer of former army chief Sisi since the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
The discussions between MBZ and Sisi also “touched upon the latest crisis that Arab countries are experiencing” where they supported efforts to find “political solutions” for them.
Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Riyadh are seen as key supporters of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar, praising his battlefield successes against jihadists.
They have also thrown their political weight behind Sudan’s military council as demonstrators remain defiant in their calls for a civilian government after Omar al Bashir’s ouster in April.
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