UAE president receives Saudi defence minister in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI — Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, according to Arab News, which cited the minister's account of the talks.

Al Arabiya reported the visit in a post on its Telegram channel on Sunday. The post said the UAE president received the Saudi defence minister in Abu Dhabi. The post is a social media item and carried no further detail.

What was said

Prince Khalid described the meeting in a post on X. "We underscored the depth of the fraternal and historic ties between our two nations, discussed regional developments, and explored ways to strengthen cooperation and joint Gulf action," he wrote, as quoted by Arab News.

He also said he conveyed the greetings of the Saudi leadership to the UAE president during the meeting, according to the same report.

Meeting with the vice president

Arab News reported that the minister also met UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. According to the outlet, the two discussed ways to support efforts aimed at consolidating regional and international security and stability.

The outlet said the talks also covered the latest developments in the region. It added that the sides discussed the importance of continued coordination and consultation on issues of mutual interest.

What is not confirmed

The sources available do not say which regional developments were discussed. They do not name any specific country, conflict or security file. They also do not say who else attended the meetings, how long they lasted, or whether the visit was planned in advance.

No joint statement or agreement was cited in the reports. The account of the meeting with the UAE president rests on Prince Khalid's post on X as relayed by Arab News. The account of the meeting with the vice president comes from Arab News alone. This report has not independently verified either account. It also has not found a statement from the UAE side in the material reviewed.

Al Arabiya's Telegram post confirms the basic fact of the reception in Abu Dhabi. It does not add detail on the topics discussed.

Background

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are neighbouring Gulf states. In his post, Prince Khalid described their relationship as fraternal and historic, and he referred to "joint Gulf action" as an area for further cooperation. The reports do not give details of any current joint programmes.

The Arab News report was dated Sunday, 18 October 2026, and the Al Arabiya Telegram post carried a time stamp earlier the same day. Further official statements from either government may clarify the agenda of the talks.