Sept 29 (Reuters) – UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the kingdom’s defence minister, the first visit by a senior UAE official to the kingdom since a deep rift emerged between the two Gulf powers last year.
The visit, following an invitation by Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, occurred as Riyadh faces increasing pressure from the Iran-backed Houthis, who have for weeks fired salvos of missiles and drones at the kingdom.