Top officials and Ministers in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have recently posted about friendship and unity on social media, signalling a rapprochement months after a public fall-out between the two largest Arab economies.
On Tuesday (July 21) evening, Saudi General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh posted a picture of the kingdom’s defence minister Khaled bin Salman, alongside Emirati Vice President Mansour bin Zayed, that he said was taken a few days ago.
“Saudi Arabia and the UAE: A story of brotherly relations and a strong partnership,” he wrote in his post on X.
UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash also shared the picture, with the caption: “The biggest story in the Gulf is captured in a single photograph.”
For months, pundits from both sides had engaged in virulent debate online, with Saudi Arabia also launching earlier this year a media campaign against its smaller neighbour.
The two allies-turned-rivals had a public falling out in December when the kingdom accused Abu Dhabi of threatening its national security by supporting Yemeni separatists who orchestrated a brief offensive.
The pair have been at odds in their foreign policy from Yemen and Sudan to the Horn of Africa, where they have supported rival forces.
Their differences have spilt over into the Iran conflict, with the kingdom backing Pakistani mediation efforts, while the UAE initially took a more hawkish stance on Tehran, prior to the signing of a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding last month.
The apparent mending of ties came as U.S.-Iran hostilities resumed this month, triggering renewed Iranian attacks across the Gulf, while Tehran’s Houthi allies in Yemen ramped up the pressure by threatening a naval blockade of the kingdom.
UAE Chairman of the National Media Authority Abdulla Alhamed and Saudi Media Minister Salman Aldosary posted very similar messages on X on Tuesday (July 21), lauding relations between the two countries and their leaders, while stating that “responsible media” must reflect this bond.
“The role of responsible media is to counter anyone attempting to portray a misleading image of the relationship between the two countries and to ensure accuracy in all published information,” Mr. Aldosary said in his post, praising the “wise leadership in both countries”.
Published – July 22, 2026 09:50 pm IST
