Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): It was surprising that the King of Bahrain decided not to head to Jeddah to attend the consultative meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Gulf meeting with Central Asian countries. It was also shocking that the official news that had previously been published in the official Bahrain News Agency was withdrawn, and newspapers were ordered to remove the news from their websites. 

It is also more surprising that he sent his son Nasser bin Hamad to the meeting, which will be chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, at the lowest levels of diplomatic engagement in the Gulf.The meeting was chaired by Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammad bin Salman, in the presence of Kuwait's crown prince and de facto ruler, Mishal Al-Ahmad, the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad, and the ruler of Dubai, the UAE's second-in-command, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as well as the Omani Deputy Prime Minister (Oman's second-in-command) Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said, as the Sultan heads the Omani government, while Bahrain was represented by Nasser bin Hamad as the "Personal Representative of the King of Bahrain".

It was remarkable that the king of Bahrain's absence happened amid the escalating dispute between the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who expressed anger at Mohammed bin Zayed, who "stabbed the kingdom" recently, according to Saudi journalists. Apart from the reasons of the dispute between the two countries, it is clear that the King of Bahrain stands lost and confused between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, well aware that the two will force their allies in the event of an escalation of the dispute to choose one party at the expense of another, but the reason for the Bahraini confusion lies in its need for both countries and its subordination to them. 

In 2011, the King of Bahrain chose to fight and oppress his people to reach his objective, led by his hatred. He and his family ceded the sovereignty of his country and summoned Saudi Arabia and the UAE to eliminate his people, and later needed their funds to continue suppressing dissidents who represent the majority of the country's population.His constant need for financial support and political cover over 13 years eventually led to the transformation of Bahrain into a weak follower, who obeys the orders of his masters. 

The boycott of Qatar and Bahrain's payment of the price for the boycott alone, which was subjected to unprecedented public humiliation at the Gulf level, is the best evidence of this.Today, Bahrain depends on the UAE for financial support after Saudi Arabia stopped dumping money uncontrollably on Bahrain, and this is the reason for the king's indecisiveness, he cannot dispense with the UAE's financial support, but he also cannot bear the cost of opposing Saudi Arabia, the vital artery of the small island.

Mohammed bin Zayed may have asked the king not to go to Jeddah, and Mohammed bin Salman may have asked him not to attend for not openly standing with Saudi Arabia against the UAE, and in any case, the absence of the king or his crown prince from attending the Jeddah summit is evidence of the political weakness the country has reached. As for the Emirati-Saudi dispute, only time will tell the extent of its effects on Bahrain in the future, and it is certain that the king is to be blamed and this family, whose hatred against its people pushed it to what we have become today.

 Arabic Version