China, UAE to hold third air force drills as defense ties warm: What we know China and the United Arab Emirates are further deepening their defense and military ties with a third round of aerial exercises. United Arab Emirates
Meloni to attend GCC summit in Bahrain as Italy deepens Gulf ties The summit is expected to focus on economic integration in the Gulf, but regional issues will likely loom just as large, including post-war Gaza and the conflict in Sudan. Bahrain
Analysis F-35s, chips but no security guarantees: What MBS achieved — and didn’t — in Washington A Saudi-US defense deal signed by Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House fell short of the de facto Saudi leader's ambitions for a US defense guarantee, but neither side appears in much of a hurry since the US military knocked out Iran's nuclear enrichment in June. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Gulf AI ambitions get boost with US approval of advanced chip exports Washington has been cautious about sending sensitive advanced microchips to Middle East countries with close ties to China, fearing that the technology could end up in Beijing’s hands. Saudi Arabia
Analysis UK chases elusive GCC trade deal that could boost exports, economic links By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Egypt welcomes Saudi cease-fire initiative in Yemen Saudi Arabia's initiative to settle the conflict and war in Yemen gets support from Cairo. Egypt
Can China balance ties with Iran and the GCC? China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi must take care not to "underestimate the differences" between Iran and the GCC countries. Iran
COVID accelerates evolution of Gulf economies The economic policy response to COVID-19 is an acceleration of specific trends already underway across the Gulf Cooperation Council members, variously affecting tax policy, labor market regulation and immigration policy. Saudi Arabia
New Kuwaiti Cabinet takes office after dispute with parliament The government will be tasked with tending to the country's financial difficulties and the pandemic following a dispute between the prime minister and parliament. Originals
UAE, Qatar officials meet in Kuwait amid Gulf thaw Kuwait hosted delegations from the two countries more than a month after Saudi Arabia and its allies agreed to end their blockade on Qatar. United Arab Emirates
How Egypt-Gulf consensus can advance peace in Yemen Egypt agreed with the Gulf states on the need to limit Iranian influence in Yemen and support the recent US inclination to end the Yemen war. Egypt
Egypt's parliament holds back on Qatar normalization Egyptian parliament members have recently expressed their rejection of reconciliation with Qatar, claiming its attacks against the Egyptian state on its media channels continue. Originals
Egypt, Bahrain adopt 'wait and see' approach to reconciliation with Qatar Egypt awaits Qatar to take actions on the ground in accordance with Al-Ula Declaration that ended the boycott of Doha, but amid concerns that Qatar will bail out on its commitments. Bahrain
US may help keep GCC reconciliation on track It is unclear how firm or shaky the ground is for Gulf Cooperation Council nations' reconciliation with Qatar, but they may be on more or less good behavior to start off as well as possible with the Biden administration. Legacy: Gulf
Gulf states prepared to support Iraqi sovereignty, fight terrorism: GCC Secretary General Strengthened Iraq-GCC relations could bolster stability in the country and lessen Baghdad's dependence on Iran. Iraq
Egypt says it is renewing diplomatic relations with Qatar Qatar Airways also announced the resumption of its Cairo route as the Gulf rift comes closer to an official end. Qatar