UAE and Syrian Presidents express hope for continued development
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan exchanged Eid greeting with Syrian leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa, as the two countries build towards reestablishing ties after years of strain with the former administration.
The two leaders exchanged Eid greetings and expressed their hopes for continued development, security and stability.
The call between the leaders come as the two countries broker closer relations and passenger flights resumed between Dubai and Damascus.
The UAE President hosted Sharaa in April, where he reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to supporting the Syrian people as they "navigate the (five-year) transitional period and rebuild their country".
Syria's new transitional government was officially sworn in on March 29, nearly four months after President Bashar al-Assad was ousted.
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New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters That Turkey and Qatar are the regional powers most active in Syria should not come as a surprise. Turkey shares a long border with Syria and was the last true backer of rebels who fought to oust Bashar al-Assad after most Gulf monarchies gave up on their cause. Qatar was the exception. It was the sole Gulf state to recognise and host Syria's opposition. Conversely, the UAE made a big bet on rehabilitating Assad. MEE revealed that the UAE was negotiating a grand bargain to lift US sanctions on Assad in return for reducing Iran's influence. The talks continued up until the last minute. Assad was toppled in an offensive led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, whose commander, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is Syria's new president. The biggest deal Turkey and Qatar have made in Syria so far was in May. 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Barrack told Turkish media in June that the US planned to downsize from eight bases to one in northeastern Syria. How Trump's allies view Turkey and Qatar Turkey and Qatar have long been seen as close partners. In a sense, they complement each other. Turkey has the second largest army in Nato, but is cash poor. Qatar is one of the world's top exporters of Liquefied Natural Gas, but has just 300,000 nationals. Turkey has a military base in Qatar. Doha made tens of billions of dollars in investments in Turkey during its inflation crisis, providing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with an economic lifeline. The two countries' alignment was solidified during the 2011 Arab Spring, when they backed popular protests against rulers like Assad in Syria and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Saudi Arabia and the UAE accused them of supporting political Islamists who Abu Dhabi and Riyadh feared would unsettle their monarchies. The rift got nasty in 2017, when a Saudi-led blockade was imposed on Qatar. That Trump should welcome Qatar and Turkish investment in Syria now shows how rapidly the region has reorganised itself. In 2017, he gave a White House speech throwing his weight behind the blockade. Until recently, Trump's Middle East director at the National Security Council was Eric Trager, who has been critical of Qatar. 'You certainly have those in the administration, not the Witkoffs or Barracks, who still believe in a Muslim Brotherhood boogyman. This is deep-seated. So it's interesting to see Trump's really close cohort move beyond this,' Natasha Hall, a Syria expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, )said, referring to US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Both of Trump's close advisors enjoy good relations with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The UAE's hotspot troubles The Arab Spring descended into a slew of conflicts, of which Syria was just one. After the Nato-led removal of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, Turkey backed a government in Tripoli while Saudi Arabia and the UAE threw their support behind a rogue general and one-time CIA asset, Khalifa Haftar. The UAE also backed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the general who overthrew the democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, whom Erdogan backed. Turkey and Qatar's growing clout in the Middle East vis-a-vis Syria contrasts with mounting troubles for the UAE in some of these hotspots. UAE lobbying Trump administration to reject Arab League Gaza plan, officials say Read More » Ties between Egypt and the UAE are becoming seriously frayed, although both sides are trying to downplay it, Arab officials tell MEE. Sisi's economy is in crisis, but he has failed to push through the reforms that the UAE, his top backer, wants. The Emiratis have lobbied against Cairo in Washington, MEE revealed. 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Hamdan bin Zayed receives Ambassador of Russian Federation to UAE
Discussed bilateral relations and explored avenues to strengthen and expand cooperation During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and explored avenues to strengthen and expand cooperation across political, economic, and cultural fields. The discussions focused on fostering mutual interests and reinforcing ties between the two nations. Praised the robust relations between the UAE and Russia His Highness Sheikh Hamdan praised the robust relations between the UAE and Russia, emphasising the commitment of the UAE's leadership, under President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to bolstering cooperation. He noted that such partnerships contribute to the UAE's global standing and its efforts to build international relations based on mutual respect and constructive collaboration. Appreciation For his part, Ambassador Zabirov expressed his appreciation for the steady progress in UAE-Russia relations, commending the UAE's regional and international role in promoting peace, security, and stability. The meeting was attended by several Sheikhs and officials.
