GCC chief mediates between UAE and Saudi Arabia

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jamil al-Hujeilan arrived today in Abu Dhabi coming from Riyadh in a short visit to the United Arab Emirates, his first leg of a tour which will cover the GCC member states.

AFP reported that this visit comes at a time when controversy is escalated between the UAE and Saudi Arabia because of the Saudi closeness with Iran, which is in a dispute with the UAE over the sovereignty of three islands in the Gulf.

Last Saturday, UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah al-Nu'eimi has strongly denounced the closeness between Iran and the Gulf states. He said, "Such a closeness has now become harmful," adding that Iran has understood it as that the GCC member states having given up the rights of the UAE to maintain sovereignty over the islands of Lesser Tanb, Greater Tanb and Abu Mousa.