UAE President’s Letter to Saudi King Seen as a Message to Crown Prince MBS
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a handwritten letter directly to Saudi Arabia’s 90-year-old King Salman, a move viewed by some US and Arab officials as an attempt to bypass Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
Saudi media said the letter addressed bilateral relations, while the UAE’s official news agency described it as a personal invitation for King Salman to attend a UN-sponsored water conference in Abu Dhabi in December. Gulf observers, however, said the direct outreach reflects growing tensions between the two Gulf powers.
MBS is Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and controls most major government affairs. The letter comes after relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have faced serious disagreements over Yemen and Sudan, where the two countries have supported opposing interests.
The move is also notable because MBS had previously proposed a mediation channel involving UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed and Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia has also recently strengthened security cooperation with Pakistan and Türkiye through the Mecca Pact, while some Emirati commentators have questioned the purpose of the new alliance.
The direct letter to King Salman therefore appears to highlight the increasingly complicated relationship between two longtime Gulf partners.
