A Blunt Message From One of the UAE's Most Senior Diplomats

Speaking at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai on Thursday, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, delivered one of the clearest public statements yet linking the UAE's own security directly to what happens in Saudi Arabia — a message that lands at a particularly tense moment for the region.

His remarks came just two days after Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone near Makkah, Islam's holiest city, on Tuesday evening. The Saudi-led coalition attributed the attempted attack to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement, describing the security of the Two Holy Mosques as an absolute "red line." The Houthis have firmly denied targeting the city, calling the accusation baseless.

"Our Security Is Their Security"

Addressing the summit, Dr Gargash stated plainly that the security and prosperity of the UAE is directly connected to the security and prosperity of Saudi Arabia — a framing that leaves little ambiguity about how seriously Abu Dhabi views threats against its neighbour. He argued that the broader prosperity of the region as a whole is closely tied to how the ongoing Iran war is ultimately resolved, and how relations across the Gulf are repaired once the conflict ends.

"We are still in a crisis," he told delegates, "and leaving this crisis with minimum damage is a must." According to Dr Gargash, the UAE's responsibility extends beyond simply defending its own sovereignty — it also involves preparing the diplomatic groundwork for eventual dialogue with Tehran, however difficult that process may prove.

Preparing for a Post-War Relationship With Iran

Perhaps the most striking part of Dr Gargash's remarks concerned the long-term relationship between the Gulf states and Iran. He acknowledged that trust between the two sides has been severely damaged by months of attacks, and cautioned that rebuilding it will likely take years rather than months. Even so, he insisted that dialogue with Iran remains essential once the current crisis subsides, describing the current moment as one that will eventually give way to what he called "a new page" in regional relations.

He was equally direct in characterising Iran's decision to strike its Gulf neighbours as a fundamental strategic miscalculation, arguing that Tehran needs to reassess how it views the Gulf Cooperation Council states rather than treating them as targets. According to Dr Gargash, the UAE and its neighbours were not attacked in isolation — the assault, in his telling, was aimed at Gulf countries collectively, making a unified response and, eventually, unified diplomacy all the more necessary.

Why the Timing Matters

The comments arrive against the backdrop of a war that began on February 28 and has since drawn in multiple Gulf states, with Iran-aligned forces launching repeated missile, drone and cruise missile attacks across the region. The UAE itself has been among the countries most heavily targeted, having intercepted hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones since the conflict began, according to figures previously released by the UAE Ministry of Defence.

Against that backdrop, an attempted strike near Makkah represents a significant escalation — not just militarily, but symbolically, given the city's unique religious significance to more than a billion Muslims worldwide. The incident has already drawn swift condemnation from governments across the Muslim world, adding diplomatic pressure on all sides to prevent further escalation around Saudi Arabia's holiest sites.

A Regional Balancing Act

Dr Gargash's remarks reflect a broader balancing act the UAE has attempted to maintain throughout the conflict: standing firmly with Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners on immediate security matters, while simultaneously signalling openness to eventual diplomatic engagement with Iran once conditions allow. Analysts have long noted that the UAE's economic interests — from trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz to its broader role as a regional financial and logistics hub — give it strong incentives to seek stability over prolonged confrontation.

Whether that combination of firm solidarity and future-facing diplomacy proves achievable will likely depend heavily on how the situation around Makkah, and the broader Iran war, develops in the days and weeks ahead. For now, Dr Gargash's message to the region was unambiguous: what happens to Saudi Arabia's security will not stay within Saudi Arabia's borders.