'Saudis not foreigners in UAE'

UAE-Saudi relations have set a model for the world as it extends to all sectors that make a strong relation.

Rich and stable, Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to attract dangers of foreign powers attempting to destabilise the region, but their bond will stand strong and positive against challenges, a Saudi diplomat has said.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Abdul Hadi bin Mohammed Al Shafi, Consul-General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Dubai, said the long UAE-Saudi relations have set a model for the world as it extends to all sectors that make a strong relation.
The UAE celebrations of 88th Saudi National Day "is the social integration and deep-rooted brotherly ties among both peoples through their tribal and social connections that make our relation so powerful that it stands out", according to Al Shafi.
"We are talking about two integrated societies socially, economically and politically, so we can imagine the power of such unity."
Al Shafi highlighted that the absence of official headcount of the Saudi community in the UAE reflects the fact that the UAE considers them "locals" not "a foreign community." 
He added that with shared goals and challenges, both countries continue to stand strong against Iranian threat to the region's security and stability and the sectarian strife that has been facing the region. 
The bilateral relations of Saudi Arabia and UAE have played a leading role in serving Arab and Islamic issues, and maintaining the region's stability and the entire world, especially as their histories are full of examples of settling Arab conflicts.
Their most notable unprecedented alliance lies in the Arab Coalition supporting the legitimate Yemen government, to mark a new history in defeating foreign plans to seize the country.
Changes in Saudi positive
UAE and Saudi diplomats are hailing the ongoing significant economic and social shifts that Saudi Arabia has been lately experiencing, with predictions of further positive impact on the region.
Al Shafi said the changes, led by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, are expected to be the beginning of a bright future to bilateral relations between UAE and Saudi Arabia and the region as a whole. By integrating the Saudi and UAE economies, the largest among GCC countries, experts predict it will create an economic entity with a GDP of around $1.1 trillion. In 2017, the GDP of Saudi Arabia reached about $685 billion, while the UAE's GDP reached Dh1.49 trillion. The value of both countries' trade exchange reached about Dh88.3 billion in 2017. The UAE tops the list of Gulf countries that export to Saudi Arabia and occupies a leading position in the similar list of top 10 countries around the world.
The value of Saudi investments in the UAE exceed Dh35 billion, and around 2,366 Saudi companies and 66 commercial agency registered at the Ministry of Economy are operating in the UAE.
There are also 206 Saudi projects in the UAE while the number of joint Emirati-Saudi projects is 114 industrial and service projects, valued at SAR15 billion while the value of Emirati investments in Saudi Arabia is over $9 billion.
Al Shafi added: "If we look at how we were 88 years earlier, compared to now, we would understand what leaders did to invest in the country's capabilities to help us develop the way we did."
Stand in regional issues
The role of both countries in maintaining the coherence of the GCC Council started early on. In 2016, both countries formed the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council to create an exceptional model of integration and cooperation to combat important regional and global issues. In June 2017, along with Bahrain and Egypt, they decided to cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar, after the failure of all diplomatic attempts to convince Qatar to end its policies that threaten regional stability. The countries had also sent the 'Peninsula Shield Forces' during the 2011 Bahrain uprising, which contributed to maintaining the security and stability of Bahrain.
With inputs from WAM
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

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