UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan chairs a session.

A joint retreat between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia is set to kick off in Abu Dhabi where over 150 government officials and a number of experts in the public and private sectors are also participating.

The retreat is an initiative of the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council, set up and launched by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman al-Saud, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The council will be co-chaired by UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, along with a number of ministers and officials from both countries.

“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,” a statement from UAE’s WAM news agency read.

“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,” the statement added.