5 Top Points
- The UAE’s Minister met with Israel’s Opposition Leader in Abu Dhabi.
- Saudi Arabia and Norway co-organised a discussion on the two-state solution and the recognition of the Palestinian state in Riyadh.
- The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discussed regional de-escalation and nuclear non-proliferation with Iran’s Foreign Minister.
- The UAE and Ukraine signed a bilateral trade agreement.
- Oman’s Hydrom signed two agreements totalling about €9.8 billion for the development of two green hydrogen projects.
Kingdom of Bahrain
Saturday, 27 April–Bahrain’s Gulf Air resumed its flights to Iraq. With the relaunch of services to Baghdad and Erbil, Gulf Air aims to strengthen Bahraini-Iraqi ties, facilitating increased travel and trade opportunities.
Monday, 29 April–The Gulf Petrochemical Company (GPIC), headquartered in Bahrain, inaugurated a solar energy project in Manama. With a capacity to generate 2.5 megawatts of electricity, the project aims to enhance sustainability efforts for Bahrain’s energy landscape.
State of Kuwait
Saturday, 27 April–Kuwait, as well as Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, condemned the terrorist attack on the Khor More gas field in Iraq, which resulted in the death and injury of a number of civilians, including workers from Yemen. Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed its solidarity with the Iraqi government in taking all measures to preserve Iraq’s security.
Sultanate of Oman
Monday, 29 April–Oman’s green hydrogen company, Hydrom, signed two agreements totalling $11 billion (about €9.8 billion) for the development of two green hydrogen projects. The first agreement was signed with a consortium consisting of Electricité de France SA and its subsidiary EDF Renewables, Japan’s Electric Power Development Co, and UK’s YamnaCo. The second agreement was signed with Actis, a British global investor in sustainable infrastructure, and Fortescue, an Australian global integrated green energy, metals and technology company.
State of Qatar
Monday, 29 April–QatarEnergy inked a $6 billion (about €5.3 billion) deal with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) to construct liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. The partnership aims to enhance LNG transportation infrastructure, facilitate smoother trade and meet China’s energy needs.
Tuesday, 30 April–The third session of the Arab Economic and Cooperation Forum with Central Asian Countries and Azerbaijan took place in Doha, Qatar. During the two-day event, attended by high-level delegations from all GCC member states, opportunities to strengthen trade and investment cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, among participating nations was discussed, envisioning the establishment of an economic bloc between the Arab region, Central Asia and Azerbaijan.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Monday, 29 April–Saudi Arabia and Norway co-chaired a discussion session on the two-state solution and the recognition of the Palestinian state in Riyadh. Attended by the Foreign Ministers of Arab, Islamic and European Countries and Arab League officials, the discussion focused on the development of the war in the Gaza Strip and the repercussions on regional and international security and stability. On the margins of the event, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, met with his French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné, as well as his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, among others.
Tuesday, 30 April–The Saudi Space Agency and the World Economic Forum (WEF) will launch the Centre for Space Futures in Autumn 2024, aiming to enhance global space collaboration and accelerate space technologies. The Centre will integrate best practices to foster a sustainable space economy and it will work alongside C4IR Saudi Arabia to advance Saudi Vision 2030, promoting economic diversification.
United Arab Emirates
Friday, 26 April–The UAE and Ukraine signed a bilateral trade agreement. The deal aims to strengthen trade ties and promote mutual economic growth across various sectors, such as agriculture, energy, and technology. The agreement was signed by Ukrainian Economy Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and the UAE’s Foreign Trade Minister, Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, in Abu Dhabi.
Wednesday, 1 May–The Abu Dhabi clean energy company, Masdar, signed an agreement with Bapco Energies to explore development and investment of wind energy projects in Bahrain. The agreement underscores the UAE’s and Bahrain’s commitment to diversifying their economies and promoting sustainable development. The partnership aims for a strategic alignment towards achieving energy security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability in the region.
EU Corner
Monday, 29 April–On the margins of the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development in Riyadh, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud. During the meeting, they discussed the developments in the Gaza Strip, joint coordination to reduce regional tensions, as well as the implementation of the two-state solution. Additional EU-Saudi meetings held on the sidelines of the Forum, included the meeting between the EU Special Representative to the Gulf, Luigi Di Maio, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, regarding discuss regional issues; and the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, to discuss EU-Saudi energy and clean technology cooperation.
Tuesday, 30 April–The first meeting of the Joint Committee was held between Libya and the European Union Integrated Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM), in Tripoli, in accordance with the terms of a memorandum signed in October 2023. The Committee was established to oversee and coordinate cooperation and enhance Libyan border security capacities.
Wednesday, 1 May–The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, held a phone call with Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, with whom he stressed the importance of restraint and de-escalation in the region. Moreover, Borrell emphasised the need to keep working on nuclear non-proliferation, explained EU’s sanctions on Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) and missiles, and raised the case of the EU citizens arbitrarily detained in Iran.
Key Official Visits
Friday, 26 April–Bahrain’s Political Affairs Undersecretary at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Abdulla bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, and China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deng Li, held the first round of bilateral political consultations in Beijing. The meeting aimed to bolster cooperation and deepen understanding on various issues of mutual interest. Both sides agreed to further enhance cooperation across multiple sectors, including politics, economy, trade, and culture.
Saturday, 27 April–Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, met with Yemen’s newly appointed Foreign Minister, Shaya Mohsin Zindani, in Riyadh. The two Ministers reviewed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in various fields, as well as issues of common interest.
Sunday, 28 April–Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, met with Kuwait’s Emir, Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, in Riyadh. They reviewed growth and development opportunities in various fields, and exchanged views on regional and international issues and the efforts made in this regard.
Monday, 29 April–Qatar’s Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, met with a delegation from the United Kingdom’s Parliament, consisting of Alun Cairns, Florence Eshalomi, Chris Law, and Marsha De Cordova, in Doha. They discussed the Qatar-led mediation efforts in the Gaza Strip war and the prisoner exchange between the USA and Venezuela, the Afghan situation, as well as ways to strengthen UK-Qatar cooperation.
Monday, 29 April–Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, met with Palestinian Authority’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, in Riyadh. During the discussions, the Crown Prince reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to stand by Palestine, and highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts to support Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty.
Monday, 29 April–The US-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting took place in Riyadh, chaired by Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and attended by the Foreign Ministers of the GCC countries, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the GCC Secretary General, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. The meeting aimed at promoting peace, security, stability, integration and economic prosperity in the region. Moreover, they discussed international and regional issues of common interest.
Monday, 29 April–The World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development took place in Riyadh. It brought together over 700 leaders from all sectors and industries for a comprehensive dialogue on global cooperation for economic development. The GCC Ministers held a series of bilateral meetings, notably:
- Bahrain’s Minister of Finance and National Economy, Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, separately met with German State Secretary for Economic, Finance and European Affairs, Jörg Kukies, and GCC Secretary General, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi; whileBahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, met with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry.
- Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, separately met with Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani; Kuwait’s Emir, Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Shebaz Sharif; Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas; UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Cameron; and US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
- Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, separately met with his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf; Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide; and Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter.
Tuesday, 30 April–On the sidelines of the Arab Economic and Cooperation Forum with Central Asian Countries and Azerbaijan in Doha, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, met with Palestinian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Mustafa. The two sides discussed bilateral relations, ways to bolster joint cooperation across various fields of common interest, as well as regional developments and its impact on security and stability.
Tuesday, 30 April–Kuwait’s Emir, Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, went on an official visit to Egypt, and met with the President, Abdulfataah Al-Sisi, to discuss means of enhancing bilateral relations, issues of common concern, in particular the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Red Sea, Libya, and Sudan, as well as ways to contain military escalation in the region.
Tuesday, 30 April–Kuwait’s Minister of Finance and State Minister for Economic and Investment Affairs, Anwar Al-Mudhaf, met with his Saudi counterpart, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, in Riyadh. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation ways to boost financial and economic relations.
Wednesday, 1 May–Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, held a phone call with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, to discuss bilateral cooperation and means to enhance them, as well as the latest developments in the region, in particular the situation in the Gaza Strip and humanitarian aid.
Thursday, 2 May–The UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, met with Israel’s Leader of the Opposition, Yair Lapid, in Abu Dhabi. They discussed the latest developments in the region, particularly the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The UAE’s Minister emphasised the urgent need to return to negotiations aiming to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.