UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, left, meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on 29 September 2026. Photo: Saudi Press Agency.
Emirates Wire | Wednesday, 30 September 2026
By Steve Moore
Morning. Steve Moore here. An update to yesterday’s lead: the UAE has confirmed that President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. The statement, issued late on Monday, says they discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen ties. It does not address the alleged warning before 7 October 2023.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed travelled to Riyadh on Tuesday at the invitation of Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, meeting both his host and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Financial Times describes the visit as a push to repair Saudi-UAE relations. Separately, accounts of Saudi participation in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi discussions are disputed.
At home, Dubai’s Etihad Rail passenger services are scheduled to begin today. If you’re new to Emirates Wire, subscribe for a weekday briefing on the UAE’s decisions abroad and their consequences at home.
Abu Dhabi confirms the meeting
Netanyahu’s office said he and his wife had travelled at Sheikh Mohamed’s invitation. He was accompanied by the head of Israel’s National Security Council, the chief of its Mossad intelligence agency, his military secretary and his foreign policy adviser.
Three senior Israeli officials told Reuters that the meeting lasted six hours and focused on Iran. The Emirates News Agency, WAM, gave no details in its two-sentence confirmation.
The Guardian reports that representatives of other Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, attended Sunday’s discussions about the UAE’s future role in Yemen. An unnamed Saudi source told Arab News there was no truth to reports that a Saudi representative had attended.
Bloomberg describes closer military and intelligence cooperation between the UAE and Israel since the Iran conflict began, despite strains over Gaza and Palestinian statehood. In a post accompanying his CNN interview, Danny Citrinowicz argues that Abu Dhabi must decide how strongly to support an accommodation with Tehran while preparing for renewed confrontation if diplomacy fails.
The public confirmation contrasts with May, when the UAE denied an Israeli claim that Netanyahu had visited earlier in the conflict. Neither government’s statement sets out an agreement on how to handle Iran.
Yesterday we covered Associated Press’s report that Netanyahu had asked Sheikh Mohamed to deny Haaretz’s account of a warning before the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. AP attributed the request to one person claiming firsthand knowledge. Netanyahu denies receiving the reported warning, and the UAE’s confirmation of the visit leaves that dispute unresolved.
Sheikh Mansour visits Riyadh at Prince Khalid’s invitation
In Riyadh on Tuesday, Prince Khalid received Sheikh Mansour at the airport and held separate talks with him. He also attended the UAE Vice President’s meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which covered bilateral relations and regional developments.
The Guardian’s Patrick Wintour reports that the White House has privately urged Saudi Arabia and the UAE to repair their relationship and allow a unified military command to challenge the Houthi advance in Yemen. He does not report that they have agreed to form it.
“There is a realisation that the Saudi-Emirati rift has to be sorted out,” Abu Dhabi-based media executive and policy adviser Nadim Koteich told the Financial Times. He warned that continued rivalry could force other states to take sides and complicate conflicts across the region. On Yemen, he said the Emiratis would not “rush back in” and that they needed a clear agenda.
Sheikh Mansour’s delegation included senior officials from the Supreme Council for National Security, the national emergency-management authority and the Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement. Official accounts say no joint operation or new defence agreement.
Qatar takes fresh ideas to Washington
As Riyadh and Abu Dhabi explore reconciliation, Qatari mediators are carrying proposals between Washington and Tehran. US and Iranian officials spoke separately with mediators on Monday, Reuters reported, and further discussions are expected to focus on an amended version of Tehran’s seven-day proposal.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Qatari mediators would present Washington with ideas discussed in New York about implementing Iran’s conditions. He said he planned to return to Tehran and that Qatar could relay Washington’s response there.
Iran’s proposal seeks an end to hostilities in Iran and Lebanon, the release of frozen assets, oil-sanctions relief and the lifting of the US blockade of Iranian ports. It also provides for reopening Hormuz and resuming nuclear talks.
A US official told Al Jazeera that an agreement would have to address Iran’s nuclear programme, with the order of commitments still disputed. Trump said he had offered Iran nothing, rejecting reports that he was willing to ease sanctions and release funds in return for nuclear concessions.
Shipping companies still face risks while those terms are debated. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday that it had received a delayed third-party report of a vessel struck by a suspected projectile in Hormuz on Monday evening. The fire was extinguished, the crew were safe, and the vessel continued its voyage.
The warning did not identify the vessel or an attacker. Exporters are nevertheless finding ways to move more oil out of the region.
Recovering exports weigh on oil
Oil prices fell during Tuesday trading as investors focused on a recovery in Middle Eastern crude exports, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia resumed loadings at Yanbu on the Red Sea after restarting its East-West pipeline, according to trade sources and shipping data the agency cited. KCM Trade analyst Tim Waterer told Reuters that much of the increased flow still depended on ship-to-ship transfers, which cost more and work less efficiently than normal operations.
Dubai’s first passenger trains are due today
Etihad Rail’s Dubai passenger services are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, following the station’s inauguration on Monday by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Etihad Rail chairman Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed. President Sheikh Mohamed travelled from Abu Dhabi to Dubai by train before the inauguration.
The expanded service connects Dubai with Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. Etihad Rail’s phased rollout also lists Al Dhaid’s opening for 30 September.
WAM gives advertised starting fares of Dh39 in Comfort and Dh109 in Premium. Dubai station connects to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro station by a pedestrian bridge.
Check the operator’s app or website for your departure and the fare actually available before setting out. Allow time to reach the station and make the onward connection when deciding which trips the train can replace.
Dubai sets out ICD’s board
Sheikh Hamdan also chairs the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD). Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has issued Decree No. 23 of 2026 forming its board, with Sheikh Hamdan as chairman and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed as vice chairman.
ICD is Dubai’s principal government investment arm, with holdings including Emirates Group and Emirates NBD. Its board includes Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, the Minister of State for Financial Affairs, who also represented the UAE at Monday’s gathering of Arab finance ministers in Abu Dhabi.
Arab Monetary Fund marks fifty years
The fund has provided more than $11.8bn in financing over five decades, the UAE Ministry of Finance said as Abu Dhabi hosted its Golden Jubilee on Monday. The accompanying Council of Arab Finance Ministers reviewed fiscal conditions, artificial intelligence in tax administration and international tax standards.
The World Bank presented approaches to financing sustainable infrastructure with a mix of funding sources. Ministers also discussed the priorities they would set for the heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
What to watch today
Etihad Rail’s first public services from Dubai: departure performance, ticketing and the connection to the Metro.
A formal US response through mediators and any agreed sequence for reopening Hormuz and addressing the nuclear dispute.
More detail on proposed Saudi-UAE cooperation in Yemen, and clarification of disputed reports about Saudi attendance in Abu Dhabi.
If someone you know is weighing up the new rail service, or trying to follow the negotiations over Hormuz, forward this edition. They can subscribe to receive the next briefing directly.
Thanks for reading. Send stories, corrections and the view from where you are to steve@emirateswire.co.uk.
Have a good Wednesday. If you’re trying the train today, I’d like to know what the whole journey takes, from front door to destination.
Steve
Emirates Wire uses AI tools to assist with research, early drafting, fact-checking and copy-editing. Steve Moore reviews, edits and personally approves every sentence before publication.