Saudi, UAE fear for Sudan interests post-Bashir: Analysts

With Sudan in turmoil following the ouster of their ally Omar al-Bashir, Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the UAE are following events closely as they seek to protect their interests, analysts say.

Sudan plays a key role in the regional interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies, siding with Riyadh against Shiite Iran and providing troops in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in the Yemen war.

And after weeks of silence on Sudan's political turmoil, Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Sunday released a lukewarm reaction to Bashir's toppling, calling for "stability" and a "peaceful transition".

"Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are by nature averse to all popular movements or revolutions," said Karim Bitar, director of research at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs.

"These are powers that largely privilege the status quo. They fear that any effervescence, any national protest movement, will lead to an oil slick -- that there will be contagion."
"Burhan appears to be more prone to accept the UAE's policy of zero tolerance towards political Islam than others."
"In Sudan and Algeria, change is inevitable. The military institutions will supervise the change and hand over power to the civilians."
"Qatar has an objective of supporting Islamists in power because they have some sort of influence over this sort of regime."