US top diplomat Marco Rubio visited the United Arab Emirates for the final leg of his first Middle East tour, after breakthrough talks with Russian officials in Riyadh, AFP reports.

After arriving in Abu Dhabi in the morning, the US secretary of state was set to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Rubio’s visit to the UAE comes ahead of a Friday summit in Saudi Arabia of the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt and Jordan, in order to respond to US President Donald Trump’s plan for post-war Gaza.

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