Saudi King Salman receives warm welcome in UAE

Abu Dhabi - Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates and Crown Princes welcomed the Saudi King at Al Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, arrived to a red carpet welcome here on Saturday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, welcomed the Saudi King on arrival on an official visit. They expressed delight at the Saudi King's visit.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates and Crown Princes welcomed the Saudi King at Al Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed awarded the Zayed Medal to King Salman in recognition of his role in enhancing fraternal cooperation and GCC and Arab joint action.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid said relations between the kingdom and the UAE were special and went beyond mere diplomatic ties.
The historic visit of King Salman to the UAE underlines the depth of bilateral ties and the strong foundations laid by the late founding father, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, affirmed Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
The visit of the Saudi leader is of special significance with the UAE celebrating its 45th National Day, Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed noted.
Shaikh Zayed believed that Saudi Arabia acts as a safety valve in the region and a key actor and pillar with regard to GCC and Arab security, Shaikh Mohammed said. It is an approach which is cherished today by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan who took bilateral ties to new heights in terms of solidarity and co-operation at historical junctures facing the GCC, Arab world and beyond, Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed said.
According to him, the will of the UAE and Saudi Arabia was united in defending the rights and justice in Yemen as well as Arab security, and in confronting interference in the internal affairs of the region and plots against the security, sovereignty and the higher interests of Arab countries.
"The UAE always believes that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the pillar of the Arab nation and  its security and stability are part and parcel of the UAE and other GCC and Arab states. This confirms the close strategic co-ordination between the two countries at all levels and all fields at the Arab, Gulf, regional and global arenas," Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed noted.
"Arab history will always remember the historic stance and decisive decisions of King Salman against attempts by greedy foreign forces to meddle in Arab internal affairs. King Salman created a unified GCC-Arab front to confront these interferences. History will long ponder the operation to restore legitimacy in Yemen at a critical juncture in the brave Arab action that is driven by self-initiative and self-dependence in protecting Arab higher interests aborting plots of expansion and hegemony in the region," Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed remarked.
"We are confident that King Salman's trip to the UAE will induce a paradigm shift in bilateral ties which are based on the unity of the Emirati-Saudi political leaderships' will as well as on the common aspirations of the two brotherly peoples," Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed concluded.

• Saudi Arabia