After arriving in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning, Mr Bush will hold talks with the emirate's ruler, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nuhayyan. He will later deliver a speech at the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) expected to call on the region to open up their societies to democracy, and political liberalisation in line with his "freedom agenda".

The president is also expected to talk about the Middle East peace process, for which he is trying to encourage support from his Gulf Arab allies.

In particular, Mr Bush is attempting to persuade them to back Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as he negotiates with the Israelis.

Earlier in Kuwait, Mr Bush said the US was still on target to withdraw some 20,000 troops out of Iraq by July. He said hope was returning across Iraq, with the US troop surge last year bringing greater security, but added that nothing could be taken for granted.