With friends like these: Gulf powers Saudi and UAE clash over oil and strategy as rivalry grows

They were the brash power couple of the Arabian Peninsula, partnered up in joint efforts against regional rivals such as Iran, Qatar, and Turkey and ideological foes like the Muslim Brotherhood organisation.

But in recent months, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has taken a turn for the worse, with relations fraying over differing stances on Yemen, oil production and broader geopolitical calculations triggered by a new administration in Washington.

Late Sunday, citing coronavirus worries, Saudi Arabia suspended all flights with the UAE, just days after the two countries found themselves embroiled in a dispute about oil production. On Monday, Saudi Arabia changed its rules on imports to exclude goods from other Gulf countries made with any Israeli products or from free zones in a direct challenge to the UAE’s status as a regional trade hub.