UAE-Egypt relations grow with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visit to Sisi
The Cairo-Abu Dhabi relationship has grown strong.
By SETH J. FRANTZMANUpdated: DECEMBER 17, 2020 18:39NO ISRAELI leader present. Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are seen during a welcome ceremony in Abu Dhabi.(photo credit: REUTERS)
In the wake of the Abraham Accords and political normalization with Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt are signaling their determination to consolidate ties with the Eastern Mediterranean region, starting with a high-level meeting between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo. The UAE is also seeking closer ties with Greece. In essence, a larger regional strategy is emerging that links Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and the UAE. There has been joint military training with Egypt and the UAE, defense talks between the UAE and Greece and military exercises among the UAE, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus.“President al-Sisi received His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed at the Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, along with H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, national security adviser; and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and minister of presidential affairs; along with their accompanying delegation,” it was reported. The goal was to discuss “strengthening their cooperation and coordination in containing the regional and international humanitarian and economic repercussions of the pandemic and preparing for the recovery phase.”They also discussed the region and the need for “establishing stability in the Middle East based on cooperation and coexistence.”These are key issues because stability is supposed to link the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Israel together. In addition to defense measures, strengthening mutual coexistence is being highlighted in their talks.UAE state media reported: “Bilateral ties between the two countries have witnessed considerable development in recent years due to their joint political will to reinforce them, Sheikh Mohammed added, pointing out that the region and the rest of world are facing rapid changes and developments that directly affect the interests of the Arab region, most notably the increasing attempts to meddle in the internal affairs of Arab countries and the risks posed by extremism and terrorism, in addition to other risks to Arab and global security and sovereignty.”According to Al Ain News, an online portal in the UAE, there have been 22 high-level visits between the two countries since 2014. This is how strong the Cairo-Abu Dhabi relationship has become. Saudi Arabia is a key ally of both.The visit is important for Israel because Israel now enjoys warm ties with the UAE and has been at peace with Egypt for four decades. The importance of security cooperation and the focus on regional stability is critical as a new US administration assumes office.Turkey and Iran – with their proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen – are tending to destabilize the region. The UAE and Egypt are on the other side of this regional equation. Increasingly so are Israel, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Cyprus, Bahrain and other states, Arab and non-Arab.
