The Kingdom and the UAE contributed to the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and their stances were identical towards the common Arab issues, such as the Palestinian issue, the situation in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Yemen in addition to their identical position on Iranian interventions in Bahraini affairs and its occupation of the three UAE islands. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, since he was Governor of Riyadh Region, a supporter of the historical relations between the Kingdom and the UAE, until he took the reins of power in the country, where the Kingdom is still adhering to its consistent approach to the common historical links with UAE. The bilateral relations between the two countries during the last decade have become an example for what should be among the Arab countries, and an example of common awareness of the nature of regional and international changes surrounding. The UAE believes that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the nation's safety valve and carries the banner of defending its interests against all aspirations and projects aimed at splitting Arab unity. The Saudi-UAE bilateral relations witnessed a paradigm shift in the keenness of the leadership in both countries to institutionalize these relations through the establishment of a joint higher committee in May 2014, chaired by the foreign ministers of the two countries. This committee worked to implement the strategic vision of the leaderships of the two countries to reach broader, more secure and stable horizons. --SPA 21:01 LOCAL TIME 18:01 GMT 0040 www.spa.gov.sa/w1218326