Top American diplomat Marco Rubio visits UAE on final leg of Mideast tour

US top diplomat Marco Rubio visited the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for the final leg of his first Middle East tour, after breakthrough talks with Russian officials in Riyadh. After arriving in Abu Dhabi in the morning, the US Secretary of State was set to meet with President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

On Tuesday, Rubio led a US delegation in rare talks with Russian officials headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Saudi capital. The discussions covered a range of issues, including efforts to end the Ukraine war.

Rubio's visit to the UAE comes ahead of a Friday summit in Saudi Arabia of the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt and Jordan, in order to respond to US President Donald Trump's plan for post-war Gaza.

In Saudi Arabia on Monday, Rubio met with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, emphasising "the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security", according to a statement.

Agence France-Presse