The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday commended Saudi Arabia's decision to list the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, Al Arabiya News reported.

"The UAE will not spare any effort to bolster the cooperation with brothers in Saudi Arabia to tackle those terrorist groups through liquidating all forms of material and moral support in all circumstances," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The support followed Saudi Arabia's labeling the Muslim Brotherhood on Friday in a move that could pressure Qatar, whose backing for the group sparked a row with fellow Gulf monarchies.

The US-allied kingdom has also designated as terrorist Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant. Both groups are battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Interior Ministry said in a statement published by state media.

Friday's move appeared to enforce a royal decree last month in which Riyadh, which backs some rebel groups in Syria with money and arms, said it would jail for between three and 20 years any citizen guilty of fighting in conflicts abroad.

It underscored concern about young Saudis hardened by battle against Assad coming home to target the ruling Al Saud royal family - as has happened after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Last month's decree said a committee would be set up to determine the groups to be outlawed. The ministry's statement on Friday said the groups mentioned were those the committee had agreed on and that had been approved by the authorities.

Global Times - Reuters