UAE, India Stress Support for All Efforts Aimed at Promoting Peace and Stability

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. WAM
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. WAM
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UAE, India Stress Support for All Efforts Aimed at Promoting Peace and Stability

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. WAM
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. WAM

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have discussed to take the strategic partnership between the UAE and India to the next level, following the signing last year of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.

During their meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Modi’s visit as an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral ties for the benefit of both nations and their people – across economic, investment, development and renewable energy fields, as well as health, food security, education, and advanced technology.

The two leaders explored opportunities to accelerate the growth in relations between the UAE and India and ways to encourage further bilateral ties at the people-to-people level.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed and Modi exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues, stating that the UAE and India remain key supporters of all efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability throughout the region and the world. Both sides stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in reaching peaceful solutions to disputes and ensuring the safety and security of societies affected by conflict and crises.

They also discussed the COP28 climate conference to be hosted by the UAE later this year. Sheikh Mohamed noted that given its influential role within the international community, India’s active participation at COP28 was eagerly anticipated, and the UAE was looking forward to exploring ways to expand upon the two countries’ constructive cooperation in the field of climate action.

He thanked Modi for India's support for the cooperative relationship between the UAE and both the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS group, and also expressed his appreciation for the UAE being invited to participate as a guest in the work of the G20 under India’s presidency in 2023. The UAE President stated his confidence that India's active leadership of the group during the current year will have an important impact on producing results that are in the interest of the whole world.
The Indian Prime Minister reaffirmed his wish to continue working with Sheikh Mohamed to advance UAE-India relations with the aim of achieving the sustainable development ambitions of both sides.

Sheikh Mohamed and Modi also witnessed the exchange of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at catalyzing further collaboration and partnerships between the two countries.



Saudi Govt Rejects Any Attempts to Undermine Somalia’s Sovereignty

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Rejects Any Attempts to Undermine Somalia’s Sovereignty

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday the Kingdom’s rejection of any attempts “to create parallel entities that undermine Somalia's unity, territorial integrity, or national sovereignty.”

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's extraordinary meeting on Somalia in Jeddah that stressed the Kingdom’s stance on Somalia.

The Cabinet reviewed recent high-level discussions between the Kingdom and various countries, focusing on regional developments, ongoing efforts to anchor security and peace, and the Kingdom's commitment to multilateral initiatives that drive global stability and foster collective responses to shared challenges.

The Cabinet reiterated the centrality of the Palestinian cause, stressing the Kingdom's unwavering support for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. These efforts aim to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Cabinet commended the successful conclusion of the Gulf Shield 2026 joint military exercise, hosted by Saudi Arabia. Featuring the air and air defense forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the GCC Unified Military Command, the exercise underscored the commitment to boosting regional defense cooperation and strengthening collective military readiness.

The Cabinet reviewed several high-profile economic events hosted by the Kingdom, specifically highlighting the Saudi-Japan Ministerial Investment Forum and the Saudi-Canadian Business and Investment Forum. The summits resulted in numerous memoranda of understanding across strategic sectors, including space, cybersecurity, ICT, manufacturing, education, finance, water, and agriculture.


Hadhramaut Figures: Saudi Arabia's Historic Stance Paves Way for New Phase of Stability

Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Hadhramaut Figures: Saudi Arabia's Historic Stance Paves Way for New Phase of Stability

Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Several prominent figures from Yemen's Hadhramaut praised on Monday's Saudi Arabia's stance on the governorate that prevented it from sliding towards deeper unrest and instability.

The figures told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Kingdom's position was not limited to tackling the current crisis, but paves the way for a new phase of stability and development as parties prepare for a Riyadh conference on the southern issue.

The conference will mark a turning point in "rearranging" the political scene in the South, they remarked.

Hadhramaut is at a pivotal moment that demands united ranks that will come up with a unified vision that preserves the governorate's interests and allows it to play an effective role in any future political process, they added

Sheikh Essam Al-Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Hadhramaut National Council, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi Arabia's "historic" stance and determination over the December 3 developments prevented the governorate from slipping into chaos.

Hadhramaut may have escaped the crisis, but it has embarked on a new path towards progress and development, he stated.

The call for intra-south dialogue is a sign that a secure and stable future is on the horizon, he noted.

"We are already seeing these signs with Saudi Arabia's brotherly support," he remarked.

Another member of the council, Al-Hakam Abdullah al-Nahdi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the support offered by Saudi Arabia, led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, will be "etched in Hadhramaut's memory and relayed to generations to come."

"Hadhramaut represents a natural strategic depth to the Kingdom and its security is indivisible from Saudi Arabia's," he added.

"Were it not for Saudi Arabia's stance, we would have been mired in chaos," he went on to say.

He said he was optimistic about the future as long as Saudi Arabia was by Hadhramaut's side, calling on the people to "seize this opportunity by rallying together and shunning division."


Somalia Cancels All UAE Deals

A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)
A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)
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Somalia Cancels All UAE Deals

A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)
A meeting of the Somali government. (Somali National News Agency)

Somalia's government said on Monday that it was annulling all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, including port deals and defense and ‌security cooperation, ‌citing ‌evidence ⁠the UAE had ‌undermined its national sovereignty. 

"The Council of Ministers has annulled all agreements concluded with the United Arab Emirates, ⁠including those involving federal governmental ‌institutions, affiliated entities, and ‍regional administrations ‍operating within the territory ‍of the Federal Republic of Somalia," a statement from Somalia's Council of Ministers said. 

"This decision applies to all agreements ⁠and partnerships relating to the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo ... (and) bilateral security and defense cooperation agreements," the statement added.