A series of commitments suggests Pakistan could be trying to ease tensions between the two key Gulf allies.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the latter’s visit to Pakistan last week. Photo: File X/
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif traveled to Rahim Yar Khan on Tuesday and met the UAE president at Sheikh Zayed Palace, in a development that appears to be linked to ongoing tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over Yemen.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan already held a bilateral meeting with the prime minister last Friday in Islamabad on his first official visit to Pakistan as president. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office did not explain the reason for a second meeting within days, but observers believe it could possibly be due to ongoing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
It was significant that the meeting took place just hours after the Saudi Foreign Minister spoke with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The flurry of commitments suggests Pakistan may be trying to ease tensions between the two key Gulf allies.
Read also: Dar discusses ‘regional situation’ with Saudi Foreign Minister amid rising Gulf tensions
In Yemen, long-standing Gulf cooperation has fractured in an acute diplomatic crisis that risks derailing the unity of the Arab Coalition.
Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes on the port city of Mukalla in Yemen, targeting what it said were UAE ships and military equipment bound for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), a powerful separatist faction in southern Yemen. Riyadh called the shipments a “dangerous” threat to its national security and warned Abu Dhabi of further measures.
The attacks, which Saudi state media reported caused no confirmed casualties, were ordered after two ships unloaded weapons and combat vehicles in Mukalla without coalition authorization. Riyadh said its tracking systems were disabled, a claim the United Arab Emirates strongly rejected, saying the shipment contained no weapons and was intended for its own forces, and that the attack was a surprise despite prior coordination.
Yemeni authorities backed by Riyadh reacted strongly. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council declared a state of emergency, canceled a defense pact with the United Arab Emirates and gave Emirati forces 24 hours to withdraw. A 72-hour blockade was imposed on ports and border crossings in the territory under its control.
In this context, the meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the United Arab Emirates, as well as the telephone conversation between the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, was significant.
Read more: Saudi Arabia calls national security a red line, urges UAE to leave Yemen
Pakistan enjoys close strategic and economic ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and therefore does not want further escalation between the two Gulf countries. According to the official document, Shehbaz, accompanied by DPM Dar, Information Minister Ata Tarar and senior officials, reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to deepen strategic and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE.
He said the talks were based on discussions held in Islamabad last week during the UAE president’s first official visit to Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized boosting bilateral trade and expanding collaboration in IT, energy, mining and defense sectors, while praising the UAE’s role in hosting over 2.1 million Pakistani expatriates anchoring people-to-people ties.
Meanwhile, a separate Foreign Ministry statement said Dar called Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
“Both leaders exchanged views on the current regional situation and recent developments. The DPM/FM conveyed Christmas greetings and best wishes for the New Year, which were warmly reciprocated by Prince Faisal. The DPM/FM expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations. Prince Faisal reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthen and improve bilateral ties.”
