UAE and Israeli Intelligence Caught Off Guard

The Mecca pact reportedly surprises Emirati and Israeli intelligence services, with the UAE learning of it only two weeks before the announcement. UAE University's Abdulkhaleq Abdulla publicly criticizes the state of Gulf cooperation, asking "If this agreement is not an alliance, then what is the name that befits it?" and warning "Gulf cooperation is NOT in its best state," amid reports of friction between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over UAE policy in Yemen and Sudan.