GCC Relations

The Red Flag limousine carrying Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed passes a military honour guard as he arrives for a welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 22, 2019. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP) (Photo credit should read GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

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

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (C/L) welcomes President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at The Chigi Palace in Rome, on Feb. 24, 2025.

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.

US President Donald Trump meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.

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.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman (R) arrives as US President Donald Trump is seen on a screen.

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.

Latest News

US-Gulf critical minerals ties deepen as Saudis strike rare earths deal

US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia stand for a photo.

Culture

Christie's London auction shines global light on Middle Eastern art

Mahmoud Said, La fille aux yeux verts

Microsoft to invest $7.9 billion in UAE to scale AI with new Nvidia chips

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

UK chases elusive GCC trade deal that could boost exports, economic links

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves, right, and Qatari Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari arrive at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Qatar seeks increasing development projects in Africa

Qatar is increasing its investments and aid to Somalia, with plans to expand more in West Africa in the future.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson conducts flight operations while underway in the Arabian Gulf in this U.S. Navy handout photo dated April 4, 2011. He may have been America's enemy number one, but after U.S. forces killed him in Pakistan, Osama bin Laden was afforded Islamic religious rites by the U.S. military as part of his surprise at-sea burial on Monday. The body was transported to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which brought him to his final resting place somewhere in the north

Putin’s Gulf security plan depends on Trump

The Russian president plans to roll out his regional initiative to calm Gulf tensions next month — but are the United States and the EU ready to let Putin step up in the Gulf?

Kuwait charts new path in changing region

Kuwait is carefully positioning itself among its Gulf neighbors as a regional trading hub looking to enter the Chinese and Asian markets, while maintaining its regional relationships and alliance with the West.

Is Qatar still Turkey’s foul-weather friend?

Qatar’s friendship is being called into question in Turkey amid disappointment over Doha’s pledges of economic support and signs that Qatari investors are pulling out of the country.

Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi (R) attends a meeting of the Arab League Foreign Ministers in the Egyptian capital Cairo on March 6, 2019. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Who will benefit from Qatar’s asylum law?

Although Qatari-Egyptian ties have been strained since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, Qatar’s asylum law was followed with a ministerial decision that would not only protect Egyptian fugitives, but also ease their financial burden.

Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah listens, alongside Omani Ambassador to the U.S. Hunaina Sultan Al-Mughairy, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (not pictured) speaks while attending a Gulf Cooperation Council summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.S. September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz - RC128EDE5A50

Interview

Yemen war 'does not serve any party' says Oman’s ambassador to US

Omani ambassador to Washington Hunaina Al-Mughairy spoke to Al-Monitor about US-Omani ties, her country's stance on Yemen, Mideast peace and the latest Washington-Tehran tensions.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaks to the country's consultative Shoura council in Doha, Qatar, November 6, 2018. Qatar News Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1FF5F57E20

Qatar’s first elections since 2017 reveal unexpected impact of GCC crisis

Turnout in the Qatari municipal elections has declined, suggesting a Qatari citizenry that is slightly less engaged in the formal political process in the wake of the GCC crisis.

Interview

Qatar says divisions within GCC have become ‘lose-lose’ situation for the region

Qatari spokesperson says the split among the Gulf states compromises the security of the region and that thousands of families are already paying a price.

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is seen during a news conference with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, UAE, March 6, 2019. REUTERS/Satish Kumar - RC19A7AA4720

How did Lavrov do on his Gulf tour?

During his tour of the Gulf, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov treaded carefully around politics, opting to speak publicly about a safer topic, economics.

Kuwait’s steady hand in Gulf affairs

Amid disputes among the GCC states and beyond, Kuwait's efforts to bridge regional and international approaches to diplomacy remain vital.

Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Semi-Final - Qatar v United Arab Emirates - Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - January 29, 2019 Qatar's Hasan Al Haydos scores their third goal REUTERS/Suhaib Salem - RC142CB29E70

Qatar scores symbolic victory in soccer win over UAE

An unhealthy rivalry between Qatar and the UAE was on display during the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals, with Emirati fans booing the Qatari national anthem and pelting water bottles at the players.

United Arab Emirates

A construction crane is seen as smoke rises from Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus, Syria April 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho - RC16C2D4AC60

US-Gulf tensions mount over restrictions on Syria reconstruction

Gulf states are seeking to become major economic players in post-war Syria, but US sanctions are causing some states to proceed with caution.

United Arab Emirates