Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed visits Jeddah and Manama

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is welcomed by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain, on his arrival in Manama yesterday. King Hamad hosted a lunch banquet in honour of Sheikh Mohammed and the UAE delegation. Wam

abu dhabi // Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, left Manama Sunday after visits to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Sheikh Mohammed had arrived in Jeddah on Saturday for talks with King Abdullah.

The two men discussed regional developments, "the most important of which are the Palestinian cause and the Israeli aggression on Gaza, as well as ways of putting an end to shedding the blood of innocent people in this aggression", the state news agency Wam said.

Sheikh Mohammed praised King Abdullah’s “leading role and vision … during this sensitive period of the history of the Arab nation and the Muslim nation”, Wam said.

The Crown Prince “valued the king’s recent statement [on Gaza] as a true expression of anguish over the violence and aggression targeting the brotherly Palestinian people, and over the threat posed by extremism and terrorism in the region”. He also “expressed his pride in the fraternal ties, effective solidarity and fruitful cooperation between the two countries which serve the march of action and cooperation of the Gulf region”.

Sheikh Mohammed then flew to Bahrain, where he was welcomed yesterday by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

During talks, the king expressed his pride in the development of relations with the UAE in a variety of areas, and expressed his wish for further progress and growth for the UAE and its people.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the outstanding bilateral relations between the two countries and the continuous endeavours of their leaders for furthering cooperation.

They affirmed their keen mutual interest in enhancing these firm relations and emphasised the importance of continuing fraternal consultations and coordination in the service of the their two countries and peoples and the progress of the GCC.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the latest regional developments, with the Palestinian cause and Israel’s war on Gaza at the top of the agenda.

Later, King Hamad hosted a lunch banquet in honour of Sheikh Mohamed and the UAE delegation.