DUBAI:聽Iran鈥檚 Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani will visit the United Arab Emirates聽on Thursday, Nour News, which is affiliated with the Iranian top security body, reported.
His visit to Abu Dhabi comes at a time of growing rapprochement between Iran and Gulf countries. Last week, Shamkhani took part in talks brokered by China that resulted in 海角直播 and Iran resuming diplomatic ties after they were suspended in 2016.
News of the visit came as 海角直播鈥檚 finance minister, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, said that Saudi investment in Iran could happen 鈥渧ery quickly鈥 following last week鈥檚 agreement.
Shamkhani鈥檚 trip to the UAE highlights growing ties between Tehran and Abu Dhabi since the latter sent an ambassador back to Iran in September, more than six years after the Gulf Arab state downgraded ties with the Islamic Republic.
The UAE has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, with the Dubai emirate long being one of Iran鈥檚 main links to the outside world.聽
鈥淪hamkhani will travel to Abu Dhabi on Thursday in response to an official invitation by his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral, regional, and international issues,鈥 Nour News said on Wednesday.
鈥淭op economic, banking and security officials will accompany the Supreme National Security Council secretary to the UAE,鈥 it added.
Al-Jadaan, speaking at the first private sector forum of 海角直播鈥檚 sovereign wealth fund, said Iran presented investment opportunities.
鈥淭here are a lot of opportunities for Saudi investments in Iran. We don鈥檛 see impediments as long as the terms of any agreement would be respected,鈥 Al-Jadaan said.
Meanwhile China, which hosted the latest round of Saudi-Iranian discussions, on Wednesday announced the beginning of joint maritime drills in the Gulf of Oman with the Russian and Iranian navies.
The exercises, which will go on until Sunday, are the fourth of their type since the three countries started such operations in 2019.
