Reports Claim UAE Foreign Minister Became Target Of Assassination Attack In Abu Dhabi (UPDATED)

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UPDATE: The UAE government denied reports that the country’s foreign minister was killed or became a target of the assassination attempt. The UAE described these reports as ‘Qatari fake news’.

Earlier this month, Saudi and UAE media speculated that there was a coup in Qatar. These reports also appeared to be fake.

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On May 16, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed allegedly became a target of an assassination attack in the country’s capital, Abu Dhabi.

The video below recently appeared in social media and allegedly shows the impact of the attack. Depending on the source of reports, the foreign minister was injured or killed in the attack. All these remain unconfirmed.

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed allegedly assassinated. #UAE #MBZ #Saudi #Libya https://t.co/P0YvP6B4Mc عبدالله بن زايد @ABZayed pic.twitter.com/tgT0Bc9knh
— Straturka (@straturka) May 16, 2020

If the attack really took place, it will become an important indication of the growing tensions in the Arabian Peninsula. Recently, the relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE became especially complicated. Despite formally being members of the same coalition in Yemen, they support different parties, which openly clash for the control in the coalition-controlled part of Yemen. The Southern Transitional Council, backed by the UAE, is gaining an upper hand in the battle against the Saudi-backed government of Mansur Hadi. The southern city of Aden is in fact in the hands of UAE-backed forces.

The regional economic and diplomatic competition between the UAE and Saudi Arabia is also on the rise.