UAE President Holds Lengthy Meeting with U.S. Senator in Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 18. The meeting, held at Qasr Al Shati and reported by the UAE’s WAM news agency, lasted roughly an hour and a half and was accompanied by official photographs and video. The senator used a post on X to dismiss circulating social media claims about the president’s health as false, while state media said the two discussed regional developments and efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. The contact follows online speculation tied to a postponed visit by Turkey’s president and growing criticism from some Saudi social media voices concerning relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Key Points

The meeting between Sheikh Mohammed and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham occurred on Feb. 18 at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi and lasted about an hour and a half, with WAM publishing photos and video of the encounter.
Senator Graham used a post on X to denounce "false narratives" about the UAE and its leader, explicitly rejecting social media speculation regarding the president's health.
Context for the meeting includes a postponed visit by Turkey’s president and a widening rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which has increased critical commentary on Abu Dhabi online; WAM said the discussion concerned regional developments and efforts to promote peace.

DUBAI, Feb 18 - United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, according to statements on social media and official Emirati reports.

The encounter took place at Qasr Al Shati, the UAE’s state news agency WAM reported, and was documented with photographs and video showing the Emirati leader in conversation with the U.S. senator and senior Emirati officials. WAM said the discussions covered regional developments and joint efforts to promote peace in the Middle East.

Senator Graham posted on X that he spent an hour and a half with Sheikh Mohammed. In that message he criticised what he described as "false narratives" being spread about the UAE and its leader, calling those perpetuating them "full of it".

The meeting follows a surge of social media speculation about Sheikh Mohammed’s health earlier in the week. That speculation intensified after Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan postponed a scheduled visit to Abu Dhabi and Erdogan’s office published - then deleted - a post on X asserting the Emirati leader had a "health problem." The post’s deletion did not end online commentary.

At the same time, a widening rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia has placed additional scrutiny on Abu Dhabi. Prominent Saudi social media voices have ramped up criticism of the Emirates, with some commentators accusing the UAE of contributing to regional instability. Much of the online commentary in the kingdom has been directed personally at Sheikh Mohammed.

WAM's account of Wednesday’s meeting underscores the official framing that the visit was aimed at discussing regional issues and cooperation on peace initiatives. Senator Graham’s public remarks on X sought to counter the health rumours and to cast doubt on what he described as misleading narratives about the UAE and its leadership.

Details beyond the length of the meeting, the venue, and the topics named by WAM were not provided in the public statements cited in reports. The available accounts focus on the diplomatic exchange and the senator’s effort to push back against social media claims surrounding the president’s wellbeing and reputation.

Risks

Ongoing social media speculation about the president's health has created reputational uncertainty, as illustrated by a deleted post from the Turkish president's office and extensive online commentary - this affects diplomatic clarity and public perception.
A growing rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, accompanied by intensified criticism from prominent Saudi social media voices, represents a source of bilateral tension and heightened scrutiny of Abu Dhabi.
The publicly available information is limited to official statements and social media posts; the lack of fuller detail creates uncertainty about the full substance and potential follow-up of the meeting.

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