Local News from Saturday, May 16th, 2026

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh has held talks with International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call with Maldives Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam on Saturday to discuss bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, during which they discussed various aspects of cooperation and joint efforts aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences has brought together teachers and education specialists from across the Gulf for a forum focused on educational excellence and innovation.

The UAE's decision to exit the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC and OPEC+) was a "sovereign strategic choice" and not "driven by political considerations", Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said on Saturday.

Strongly condemning Iran's "unprovoked" attacks on the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that all its actions were defensive, aimed at protecting its sovereignty and in line with the country’s legitimate right to safeguard its national security.