The fact that the key Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — are currently held in high regard by the German government is evident from the steady stream of ministerial visits to their capitals. Only recently, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) traveled to Saudi Arabia; shortly thereafter, Economy Minister Katherina Reiche of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) arrived and explained why: "When partnerships that one has relied