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Greece became the second country in two days to cancel a planned leadership visit to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called off a trip to Abu Dhabi that had been scheduled for Tuesday.
The move came less than 24 hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan postponed his own visit to the Emirates, fueling unverified speculation on social media about the health of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Erdogan was first to pull back. Türkiye's Directorate of Communications announced Sunday that the president had informed Al Nahyan by phone that he was postponing his trip, originally planned as the opening leg of a two-day diplomatic tour that also included Ethiopia. No official reason was given, though Communications Director Burhanettin Duran had confirmed the travel plans on social media earlier that same day.
The Greek cancellation followed on Monday. Rather than traveling to Abu Dhabi, Mitsotakis held a phone call with Al Nahyan in which the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and agreed to meet at a later date, the prime minister's office said.
Neither government offered a public explanation for the abrupt scheduling changes.
Shortly after the consecutive cancellations became public, unverified claims began circulating on social media alleging that Al Nahyan was facing severe health concerns, including suggestions he may have suffered a serious medical episode. None of these claims have been confirmed by UAE authorities or any official source, and Abu Dhabi has not commented on the reports.
The UAE's state news agency, WAM, made no reference to any health issue in its readout of the Mitsotakis call, describing the conversation as focused on strengthening bilateral ties and reviewing regional affairs.
The back-to-back postponements come at a time when Abu Dhabi has been drawing both countries closer. Greece and the UAE have built what they call a comprehensive strategic partnership, anchored by a 4 billion euro Emirati investment program funneled through the state fund into areas like defence, renewable energy and green transition. Around 1,500 Greeks currently live and work in the Emirates, mostly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Türkiye's ties with Abu Dhabi tell a different but equally striking story. The two countries spent much of the late 2010s at odds over regional rivalries, but since 2021 they have moved quickly to repair relations, signing a string of trade, investment and defense deals along the way. Erdogan's visit had been expected to build on that momentum, with talks focused on bilateral cooperation and regional developments, according to Duran.
On the Greek side, Mitsotakis and Al Nahyan used their phone call to discuss regional and international affairs, with both stressing the role of dialogue and diplomacy in maintaining peace and security in the Middle East, Greek government sources said. The two leaders reaffirmed their partnership and agreed to meet in person soon.
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