Russian President Vladimir Putin has been strengthening his partnerships with Gulf nations in the face of increasing isolation by the West. He recently made a lightning one-day tour to the Middle East, visiting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
In the UAE, Putin was greeted with a 21-gun salute and a flyby of military jets in the colors of the Russian flag. The two leaders discussed strengthening dialogue and cooperation, with a focus on energy industry and advanced technologies.
Putin then traveled to Riyadh to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, their first face-to-face meeting since October 2019. The visit comes at a time when oil prices have fallen despite efforts by OPEC+ to reduce output.
Following his trip to Saudi Arabia, Putin is scheduled to host the Iranian President in Moscow, while the UAE will welcome Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
This trip to the Middle East is seen as an effort by Putin to demonstrate that Western attempts to isolate Russia through sanctions have failed, and to also explore potential oil cooperation and mediation in the Israel-Hamas war.