For the past several years, Saudia Arabia and its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, have been aligned with one another, with the U.S., and with other pro-American states in the region like Jordan, Egypt, and Bahrain. The Riyadh-Abu Dhabi axis was opposed to Iran and generally suspicious Qatar—which put it in a de-facto alliance with Israel, even if the Saudis have not wanted to normalize relations.

For the past several years, Saudia Arabia and its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, have been aligned with one another, with the U.S., and with other pro-American states in the region like Jordan, Egypt, and Bahrain. The Riyadh-Abu Dhabi axis was opposed to Iran and generally suspicious Qatar—which put it in a de-facto alliance with Israel, even if the Saudis have not wanted to normalize relations.