On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates in Morocco in an attempt to resolve differences with Washington’s traditional Gulf allies over oil, Iran, and the Ukraine crisis.
The meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan will be his most important on a regional trip that does not include any visits in Gulf monarchies or meetings with Saudi authorities, which is rare for a secretary of state.
Blinken stated on Tuesday that his meeting with Sheikh Mohammed will be a “really strategic” conversation.
Washington’s Arab allies are dissatisfied with what they perceive to be a waning US commitment to regional security in the face of Iranian engagement in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, which has pushed them into common cause with former arch-foe Israel.
Blinken visited a weekend summit between Israel and Arab countries with which it has reached a peace agreement, including the UAE and Morocco, but he did not meet any senior Saudis.
Though the United States is long-term focused on the strategic challenge of expanding Chinese influence, and its attention is presently focused on the Ukraine crisis, extremely high crude prices have highlighted the Gulf oil producers’ enduring centrality.
According to US sources, Blinken is likely to emphasise the importance of both the UAE and Saudi Arabia in his talks with Sheikh Mohammed, discussing Iran, Yemen, global energy markets, and the UAE’s rapprochement with Syria.
In exchange, he is attempting to overcome Gulf opposition to a US proposal to increase oil supply in order to temper skyrocketing crude prices, which have exacerbated global inflation rates.
“The United States is a really significant partner for all of us, and we are extremely proud of our connection with them. What we need is pragmatism, in my opinion. We need to look at the goal of the energy, and what we’re asking for isn’t for someone to tell us to “do this” or “do that,” but rather for someone to tell us “do this” or “do that.” “Suhail al-Mazrouei, UAE Energy Minister, stated on Tuesday.
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