A new defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan has reopened tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, with prominent Emirati and Saudi voices publicly clashing over the kingdom's decision to pursue a new regional security partnership beyond the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement", signed on 7 August, commits the three nations to treating an armed attack against one as an attack against all.
The agreement has sparked fierce criticism from some prominent Emirati commentators who have questioned whether Riyadh is moving towards a regional security framework beyond the GCC.
The GCC is a regional bloc comprising the energy-rich monarchies of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political analyst and former aide to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, has been at the fore of the criticism, repeatedly questioning the logic of the new agreement.
