UAE, Arab League hail Saudi call for Gulf to back Egypt

Ahram Online, Wednesday 19 Nov 2014

The Arab League says it is time for all Arab states to face together regional threats, particularly terrorism

Gulf Cooperation Council
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud (L) gestures during an extraordinary Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders summit in Riyadh, in this November 16, 2014 (Photo: Reuters)

The UAE and the Arab League have welcomed Saudi Arabia's call to back an agreement among states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that ended an eight month rift with Qatar's rulers.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed Sunday to return their ambassadors to Qatar after reaching an agreement with Doha.

The UAE confirmed its resolute support for Saudi King Abdullah's parallel call for GCC states to support Egypt and to open a new phase of unanimity and consensus between Arab "brothers", the country's state-run WAM news agency reported Wednesday.

The UAE said the Saudi call would help promote "the march of Arab solidarity in this sensitive time which requires vigilance and cooperation in addition to concerted efforts to benefit all Arab nations."

The Arab league hailed Egypt's quick response, with the Egyptian presidency welcoming the Saudi king's intervention.

"Saudi King Abdullah has always united Arab states, and the message he sent to GCC countries and Egypt is a clear message that implies a genuine desire to achieve unity among Arab states," Ambassador Haifa Abou Ghazaleh, Arab League assistant secretary general, said in a press statement.

Abou Ghazaleh hoped that the message would resonate everywhere in the region and that all efforts would be exerted in facing current challenges that threaten the Arab world, especially terrorism.

Abou Ghazaleh said that the time is now opportune for Arab leaders to unite to face terrorism. "Arab League chief Nabil El-Araby welcomed the outcome of the latest Riyadh summit," Abou Ghazaleh added.

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