Al-Estiklal tracks the cyber war between Egypt and the UAE, revealing the Emirati funding of online committees and how Cairo-Abu Dhabi tensions exposed efforts to sabotage Egypt’s revolution.

In a move aimed at reshuffling the executive branch and offering a glimmer of hope to a crisis-weary public, PLC Chairman Rashad al-Alimi issued Republican Decree No. 3 of 2026, forming a new government headed by Shaea al-Zandani, who will also retain the foreign affairs portfolio.

Riyadh is no longer willing to position itself within “Israel’s” camp or play a subordinate role in regional arrangements, instead seeking to act as an independent power able to maneuver and impose its own terms.

In January 2026, Saudi criticism of “Israel” and the UAE-led normalization track sparked a fierce U.S. “pro-Israel” lobby backlash, exposing a widening regional rift.

Since tensions between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi emerged in 2019 over Yemen, Saudi media have framed the dispute in terms of Abu Dhabi’s policies and political team, avoiding language that treats the UAE as a single, unified actor.