UAE, Kuwait to mediate to end Saudi Arabia, Egypt ‘chill’

The UAE and Kuwait have been mediating to end the “chill” in relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Egyptian writer Mahmoud Bakri revealed.

Bakri, the brother of MP Mustafa Bakri who is close to official circles in Egypt, pointed out that a high-ranking Egyptian official had secretly visited Riyadh, where he met a number of senior Saudi officials, and discussed with them the differences between the two countries, and ways to overcome them, RT reported.

The Egyptian official’s visit comes after visits by Saudi delegates to Cairo.

The Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has also made several attempts to help overcome the crisis between the two countries.

However, those efforts did not result in a solution, despite both parties’ desire to contain the differences, prompting both Kuwait and the UAE to intervene and help overcome the problems that have led to significant issues in the two countries’ relations.

Sources close to decision-making circles revealed that efforts, exerted by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as well as the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah, resulted in a breakthrough in relations. The two sides reportedly apparently enjoyed greater clarity and desire for both Cairo and Riyadh to overcome the crisis.

The same sources reported that Riyadh informed the UAE and Kuwait that Egypt and Saudi Arabia are two sister-nations and that the Kingdom has all respect to the Egyptian leadership and the Egyptian people, and is open to any dialogue with Egypt on regional issues, noting that Saudi Arabia and Egypt have different opinions rather than political differences.

The sources explained that the reason for the crisis in the Egyptian-Saudi relations stems from their different positions on the war in Syria, as well as the media’s role in escalating differences.

Egypt was angry after Saudi’s oil giant Aramco company halted Egypt’s oil supply which was interpreted as the Saudi pressure on Cairo, in response to its support of the Russian resolution on Syria in October.

However, the Kingdom explained that the decision is part of plan to rearrange oil quotas in light of OPEC decision to reduce production.