The head of Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) met Abu Dhabi’s crown prince on Sunday, who expressed the United Arab Emirates’ support for Sudan as it navigates a transition after the ouster of Omar al-Bashir, Emirates news agency (WAM) reported.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s visit to the UAE came on the heels of a trip to Egypt and a visit by his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, to Saudi Arabia.

During Burhan’s visit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan expressed the UAE’s backing for Sudan and “stressed the importance of dialogue between the Sudanese people in this sensitive phase”, according to WAM.

Sudan’s main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, said on Sunday it had held its first meeting with the Saudi ambassador in Khartoum, calling on him to support a transition to civilian rule.

Official talks between the TMC that Burhan leads and an alliance of protest and opposition groups have stalled over whether the military or civilians will have ultimate control over transitional bodies.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia between them pledged $3 billion in financial and material support to Sudan in late April.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.