Riyadh played host to the second group of the UAE-KSA Joint Determination Retreat on Thursday, which saw the attendance and participation of ministers, high officials and general managers from both countries. The retreat is a stage in a chain of joint meetings between the UAE and Saudi Arabia as part of the UAE-Saudi Coordination Council. It comes from the directives of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his brother King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, to strengthen the historic relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and place a long-term roadmap.

The retreat aims to discuss areas of common interest and place a general structure and work plans for the UAE-Saudi Coordination Council, headed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, from the UAE; and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs, from Saudi Arabia.

The welcoming speech by both Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future; and Adel Fakeih, Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning, stressed on the importance of the retreat and its outcomes in supporting co-operation between the two countries, the goals of the UAE-Saudi Coordination Council and their efforts to strengthen the GCC system.

Al Gergawi said that current cooperation and integration between the UAE and Saudi Arabia is at its peak, and their relations are growing and improving to support the journey of the GCC, while the leadership of both countries strive to make it exceptional and exemplary.

"The UAE and Saudi Arabia have well-known stances in regional cooperation that are being followed, which resulted in the UAE-Saudi Coordination Council where the whole idea of the retreat originated from," he added.

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy said the retreat provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss important issues, particularly on logistics areas and how airports and seaports in the two countries can be further developed to serve their economic growth.  Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, said the retreat discussed means to increase joint investment in manufacturing industries petrochemicals, as well as the best ways to minimise dependence on crude and to cut energy consumption locally.

Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development, said the retreat provided the ideal platform for cooperation between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in a way that will fulfill aspirations of the two brotherly peoples. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment said both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have made great achievements in agriculture, despite the challenges of water scarcity.  Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA) and CEO of Mubadala, said the Saudi-Emirati partnership is enshrined in the rich history of the two peoples.