UAE vice president meets Saudi crown in Riyadh

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) met United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice ‌President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

According to Arab News, MBS and Al Nahyan discussed “bilateral relations and developments in the region”, adding that the two leaders also reviewed relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Earlier in the day, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid ​bin Salman received Al Nahyan, Saudi state media ​reported, as Saudi Arabia faces increasing pressure ​from the Houthis, who have ​fired salvos of missiles and drones at the kingdom.

The UAE withdrew from Yemen earlier this ​year after Saudi Arabia accused it of backing ​a military operation by Yemeni separatists that it ‌said ⁠posed a national security threat to the kingdom.

UAE state news agency WAM said Sheikh Mansour would travel to the ​kingdom in ​a “fraternal visit” ⁠upon the extended invitation, without providing further details.

Saudi Arabia has ​been trying to rally international ​support ⁠to confront the Houthis, but it was not immediately clear if that request ⁠extended ​to the UAE.

The Houthis, who have controlled Yemen’s capital since 2014, seized the country’s Red Sea coast this month in a lightning advance that routed forces of an internationally recognised Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and based in the south.

Saudi Arabia has launched hundreds of strikes in recent days on the fighters’ positions in the highlands, according to the Houthis. But the air power advantage has so far done little to slow the advance of the fighters as Saudi-backed government forces have melted away.

Read: Saudi Arabia reports fresh Houthi attacks, issues warning for Makkah

The Houthis aim to secure the rear of their forces around the Bab al-Mandab Strait leading into the Red Sea by taking control of the heights, which would allow them to open new fronts, according to the sources. That would help protect exposed positions the Houthis captured during their advance around Dhubab on the Red Sea and on Perim Island in the strait.

The Houthis’ newfound control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait risks cutting off the main alternative route that Saudi Arabia has used for oil exports that bypass disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

On September 24, Saudi Arabia intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles after issuing warnings for several regions, including Makkah.

The missiles were the latest in a series of escalating Houthi attacks since July, when renewed hostilities shattered a years-long truce and embroiled Yemen in the wider Middle East war.

Since then, the Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, hitting its tankers and territory and seizing swathes of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which is vital for Saudi oil exports.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government since 2015 against the Houthis said six ballistic missiles had been intercepted, thwarting attacks on Taif and Yanbu.

Netanyahu makes a secret visit to UAE

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed during a secret meeting on Sunday to deny a report that he had warned Netanyahu of an imminent Hamas attack before October 7, 2023, Israeli newspaper Haaretz said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reported.

Read More: Netanyahu made a secret visit to UAE

Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny reports about their phone conversation and details surrounding the events before October 7 that “could embarrass him,” Haaretz said, citing unspecified sources.

The Israeli premier also asked the Emirati president for what one source described as “moral support,” the newspaper reported.

Netanyahu held an hour-long meeting with bin Zayed, according to two people briefed on the trip.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that Netanyahu travelled on a private plane owned by an unnamed Israeli businessman and used by senior Israeli figures for international trips.

It departed Ben Gurion Airport in the afternoon and landed in Abu Dhabi at 3:10 pm (1110GMT), the broadcaster said. It took off for Israel at 7:10 pm (1510GMT), four hours later, and landed shortly after 10pm (1900GMT).

KAN said Netanyahu had also used the aircraft for a trip to Abu Dhabi during the war with Iran.

The visit comes after Haaretz this month reported that bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu a week and a half before October 7, 2023, ​that Hamas was planning a major operation against Israel. Haaretz had reported that the warning was not passed to Israeli intelligence agencies or the military.

Netanyahu, ​who denied the report and threatened legal action against the newspaper, is facing a tough reelection campaign. Opposition leaders have accused the prime minister of bearing responsibility for security failures that preceded Hamas’ October 7 attack.

Also Read: Netanyahu warned by UAE president before October 7 events, failed to brief security chiefs: Haaretz

The UAE declined to comment on the ​Haaretz report but said it and Israel maintained “open and direct ​lines of communication” since establishing diplomatic relations in 2020. A UAE source previously told Reuters ‌that ⁠the UAE discusses security matters with countries through the “relevant entities,” but not “at the level of national leaders”.