>No Islamist force.
>No Islamic regime.
Isn't that an ultra haram statement for the people in the region?
Even the US's antics in the region haven't exactly promoted secular governments.
the UAE is an islamic theocracy of the sunni variety, which should've been the first tip-off that this is probably not official speech.
The UAE is a monarchy, and Saudi arabia is a theocratic monarchy. This is a pretty major point of division between the two nations. the UAE is an islamic nation but does not structure itself as an islamic regime and they generally view islamist governments as both a threat to themselves as a monarchy, but also a risk to stable economic relations which the UAE greatly enjoys.
The one place the two countries get along is often their opposition to Iran and their exporting of their brand of shia islamic revolution, and in fighting their proxies like the houthis, but in numerous other areas around the region you can see the two countries oppose one another a lot, in places like Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen when you look at who has the backing of who from the middle east, you'll find the UAE backing whoever they see as the more secular faction, and the Saudis backing whoever is more islamist. This conflict was heating up even just in recent months when the Saudis bombed a port in Yemen to prevent a weapons shipment from the UAE to southern Yemen, southern yemen being the more secular faction that the UAE were backing while the Saudis backed the pre-existing government faction the PLC, while both the Saudis and the UAE opposed the Houthi faction because like I said they both hate Iran and their proxies. but outside of that uniting factor they are in a cold war of sorts throughout the rest of the region.
In a hypothetical post-Theocratic Iran middle east, expect this Saudi/UAE tension to be the primary source of tension in the region going forward with the unique twist that the axis's forming around that tension create some difficult choices for the US.
The UAE is generally on better terms with Israel, and a proponent of more secular governments that the US would probably like to see in the region.
the Saudis on the other hand align more with Qatar, home to major US military installations, and with Turkey, a fellow NATO member.
