A joint retreat between the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will kick off today in Abu Dhabi where over 150 government officials and a number of experts in the public and private sectors will participate.

The retreat is an initiative emanating from the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council, set up and launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The council is co-chaired by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, along with a number of ministers and officials.

The aim of the retreat is to activate the tasks of the Council as per an agreement signed between the states, establishing the Council as a model for cooperation and integration between nations, which reflects the two countries' determination to consolidate fraternal relations through cooperation in a wide range of fields to achieve common interests, and enhance the prospects of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States.

The retreat will take place in two stages, in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, to discuss an agenda covering political issues, security, and economics.