President Vladimir Putin, escorted by Russian fighter jets, was welcomed to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, December 6, with a trooping of the color as he kicked off his lightning talks with key OPEC leaders.
The videos shows Putin arriving at the Qasr Al Watan presidential palace. His car drives through a procession of camels, horses, and drummers before he is greeted by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov told press that the Persian Gulf nation was “Russia’s main economic partner in the Arab world,” adding that trade and oil talks were high on the agenda for the visit, which coincided with the COP28 climate conference, currently being hosted by the UAE.
Putin then departed to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the same day to meet with the Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
According to Ushakov, the leaders are set to “consider ways to promote de-escalation” in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and discuss conflicts in Syria, Yemen, and Sudan.
Putin last visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2019, and since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he has only made foreign visits to Iran, China, and occupied Ukraine. Credit: Kremlin via Storyful
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