News Analysis: Sisi's visit to UAE seeks to warm Egypt-Gulf ties amid disputes on Syria

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday is likely a bid to warm ties with Gulf states despite their different visions on regional issues, particularly on Syria.

Although the Egyptian president's visit is made to attend a national day in the UAE, the long-term friendly ties between the two countries may qualify the Emirates as a suitable mediator between Egypt and Saudi Arabia to overcome their recent disputes, according to some experts.

"The announced purpose of the visit is to attend the national day of UAE, but what has not been announced is that the UAE plays a kind of mediation role between Riyadh and Cairo," said Saeed al-Lawindi, researcher of international relations at Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

Unharmonious ties started to appear between Egypt and Saudi Arabia after Egypt voted in October for two rival draft resolutions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a relief in Syria, including one proposed by Russia, whose military is currently assisting Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria.

While Saudi Arabia sees that the departure of Bashar al-Assad as a must for a settlement in Syria, Egypt's Sisi has clearly stated his support for Assad's military forces in fighting armed rebels and extremists in the war-torn country.

"The UAE will try to bring Cairo and Riyadh closer, yet the ball remains in the court of the Saudi side, as Egypt insists on a political solution as the basis for a settlement in Syria," the expert told Xinhua, noting that the new U.S. administration under President-elect Donald Trump is unlikely to support the Saudi military-based vision.

Egypt later explained that its support for both the Russian and the French-Spanish draft resolutions, both of which were declined by the UNSC, was based on their contents in favor of calm in Syria. Still, despite the fact that the UNSC disapproved both, the Egyptian position was criticized by Saudi representative to the UN as "painful."

Saudi Arabia led Gulf states, excluding Qatar, to support Sisi's administration with billions of U.S. dollars and oil supplies following the military removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

However, after disagreement on Syria is crystallized, the oil shipments of a Saudi national oil company, Aramco, to Egypt has been halted for the second consecutive month in November "until further notice" as stated by Egyptian officials.

"Gulf partners, mainly the UAE and Kuwait, have played a big role in bringing Cairo and Riyadh closer, but Kuwait has recently been busy with its parliamentary elections and cabinet reshuffle," said political researcher and writer Ahmed Eliba.

Eliba continued that Sisi's presence in the Emirates represents "a chance" for approach between Egypt and Saudi Arabia via UAE mediation, expecting the Emirati efforts to prove successful.

Although the difference in visions between Egypt and the UAE does not seem as deep as that between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the UAE still seeks more discussions with the Egyptian side on various issues including the Syrian crisis, the Libyan conflict and the Iranian regional expansion.

For her part, Nourhan al-Sheikh, a political science professor at Cairo University, believes that the basic goal of the visit is to maintain the momentum of Egypt-Gulf ties and resolve some issues that have recently appeared in Cairo's ties with Abu Dhabi.

She explained that Sisi's visit is necessary to maintain healthy ties with Abu Dhabi and avoid expansion of unharmonious ties with Gulf states, highlighting the huge Emirati investments in Egypt and its constant support to the most populous Arab country.

"The Egyptian-Saudi ties will surely be discussed during the visit, but I believe the issue needs a direct meeting between Riyadh and Cairo to settle their disagreement," the professor told Xinhua, adding that the UAE may serve as a mediator to arrange such a meeting. Endit