UAE and Saudi officials met in Riyadh on Thursday at a retreat aimed at strengthening the countries’ historic ties.
The UAE-KSA Joint Determination Retreat was the second such event, held under the directives of the President, Sheikh Khalifa, and King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia.
The first was held in February on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, attended by 150 officials from the two countries.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, headed the UAE-Saudi Coordination Council, which is holding a chain of meetings that includes Thursday’s retreat.
The goals of the council and efforts to strengthen the Gulf Cooperation Council were discussed during the retreat, which more than 200 officials and experts attended.
Ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are at their strongest and relations continue to improve to support the GCC, said Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future.
“Both countries today have a historic opportunity with the presence of their historic leaderships, and trust is great in the minds of their citizens and workers, while our trust is great in the excellent and exceptional future relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” Mr Al Gergawi said.
Other topics discussed included the development of airports and seaports, joint investment in manufacturing and petrochemicals, ways to minimise dependence on crude oil, plans to increase productivity, the development of vocational education, and political and diplomatic integration.
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