The story: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in his first trip to an Arab country in over a decade. The landmark visit comes on the back of increasing Emirati efforts to forge Arab normalization with Syria, an ally of Iran. Yet many Arab states continue to keep a distance from Assad following his crackdown on a popular uprising which emerged in 2011.

The coverage: Both Emirati and Syrian state media covered Assad’s consultations with the UAE leadership...