GCC Relations

Ships are docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on July 14, 2026.

UAE halts all trade ties with Iran after missile attack

The incident follows the UAE blaming Iran for strikes on ADNOC vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

United Arab Emirates

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik pays a private fraternal visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he held a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE, at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, on Aug. 17, 2026.

Sultan of Oman meets UAE's MBZ as Iran-Hormuz talks advance

The talks come as Oman is in the midst of negotiations with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

A picture take on Sept. 13, 2017, shows Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, attending the World Premiere of La Perle in Dubai.

UAE billionaire Habtoor takes aim at Ben Gvir’s Gaza rhetoric

The prominent Dubai businessman condemned the Israeli national security minister's call to kill of dozens Gazans nightly, putting a pointed criticism from an influential Emirati voice on the record.

United Arab Emirates

An oil refinery located in the desert

As Saudi Arabia rallies against Yemen's Houthis, US stays focused on Iran

Jared Szuba

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

Latest News

Iraq intel and security officials visit Saudi Arabia after drone attacks

A man inspects the damage at the site of a strike in Bartalla, in the northern Iraq's Nineveh province, after US-Saudi attacks on militias, July 29, 2026.

Analysis

Fidan heads to Egypt amid questions over Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan pact

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference in Moscow on June 16, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Kuwait's LNG imports climb to highest level since start of Iran war

The Al-Riqqa oil tanker (L) and Al-Yarmouk oil tankers sail in the Arabian Gulf waters, off the coast of Kuwait City on June 27, 2026.

Explainer

UAE-Egypt ties keep growing as Cairo navigates shifting Gulf landscape

Building construction at the Red Sea in Egypt.

Kuwaiti traders follow the market movements at the Stock Exchange in Kuwait City on Dec. 17, 2014.

Will high oil prices setback Gulf reforms?

Push harder or take a breath on economic reforms? The question can be tricky for Gulf rulers

Qatar's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs receives a copy of the credentials of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the State of Qatar Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Farhan Al-Saud.

Saudi Arabia has ambassador in Qatar again

The ambassador is Saudi Arabia's first to serve in Qatar since the resolution of the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

Riyadh skyline

Gulf states want Iran deal talks to address Tehran’s missiles program, support for proxy groups

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s statement on Wednesday echoed similar demands from members of Congress.

DONT USE - Gulf Pulse

A flame from a Saudi Aramco oil installion known as "Pump 3" is seen in the desert near the oil-rich area of Khouris, 160 kms east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, on June 23, 2008.

As GCC turns 40, all eyes on post-oil era

The GCC alliance hopes for greater future economic growth in the Gulf.

Thani and Shoukry

Qatari foreign minister visits Egypt

Relations between Qatar and Egypt have continued to improve following the January agreement that ended the Gulf diplomatic rift.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks during a press conference in the capital, Riyadh, on March 22, 2021, announcing an offer of a cease-fire with Yemen's Houthi rebels. Saudi Arabia offered Yemen's Houthi rebels a "comprehensive" cease-fire among a series of proposals aimed at ending the catastrophic six-year conflict. The proposals include "a comprehensive cease-fire across the country under the supervision of the United Nations," a government statement said.

Egypt welcomes Saudi cease-fire initiative in Yemen

Saudi Arabia's initiative to settle the conflict and war in Yemen gets support from Cairo.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, are pictured during the signing of an agreement in the capital, Tehran, on March 27, 2021. Iran and China signed what state television called a "25-year strategic cooperation pact," as the US rivals move closer together.

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.

Mauritania's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed speaks during the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 27, 2018.

Mauritania resumes ties with Qatar following Gulf rift easing

Saudi female employees work at the customers service desk at a hypermarket, newly launched by the operator LuLu and run by a team of women, in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, on February 21, 2021. (Photo by Amer HILABI / AFP) (Photo by AMER HILABI/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

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.

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.