Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates relations
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) are neighbouring countries in the Middle East and Persian Gulf region, and share extensive political and cultural ties. Saudi Arabia maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai of the U.A.E., while the U.A.E. has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The two countries are also known for being close allies in terms of foreign policy and geopolitical interests, collaborating closely during the 2017–18 Qatar diplomatic crisis and backing anti-Muslim Brotherhood governments in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. However, the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to take slightly differing stances on regional conflicts such the Yemeni Civil War, where the UAE opposes Al-Islah, and supports the Southern Movement (which has fought against Saudi-backed forces), Arab-Israeli normalizing, and the Syrian Civil War, where the UAE has reopened its embassy in Damascus. Relations were briefly complicated by the tenure of Muhammad bin Nayef as Saudi Crown Prince, who had a poor relationship with UAE de facto ruler Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan after the latter compared the former's father to an ape. However, relations have strengthened significantly with the rise of Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia,