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  • First EU-GCC Summit Charts Course for Strategic Partnership

    On October 16, the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council held their first-ever summit. The meeting in Brussels, Belgium gathered leaders and representatives of the two organizations and respective member states at a critical juncture in the interinstitutional relations between the two blocs. The GCC region has rarely topped the EU strategic agenda. However, the acknowledgment of the growing interdependency between the two blocs showcased by global crises, such as the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the rising diplomatic role of the Gulf Arab countries in global affairs have prompted Brussels to step up political engagement with the GCC. From a Gulf standpoint, the renewed resolve of GCC countries to diversify partners in a world order tilting toward multipolarity, coupled with the reconciliation after the 2017-21 Gulf crisis, has injected new life into the GCC project, strengthening the bloc’s standing as a meaningful institutional interlocutor.

  • EU must put pressure on Israel over Gaza war, Borrell says

    he European Union's top diplomat on Monday confirmed he would suggest to members of the bloc that the EU pauses its political dialogue with Israel, citing the country's conduct of the war in Gaza. "Many people tried to stop the war in Gaza... this has not happened yet. And I don't see a hope for this to happen. That's why we have to put pressure on the Israeli government, and also, obviously on the Hamas side," Josep Borrell told journalists ahead of an EU meeting.

  • Adam Neumann has a $293 million Saudi real estate venture

    Working with Saudi investors Sico Capital and Safa, Flow broke ground on its first project in August. “We believe that by creating a platform like this, we’ll allow global investors to be able to invest in Saudi Arabia,” Neumann said during a brief appearance at the real estate conference Cityscape Global on the outskirts of Riyadh. Miami-based Flow, founded in 2022, has selected Saudi Arabia as its first international market. Its chic compound Flow Narjis in Riyadh, which is set to own 920 units, is billed as “a conscious community” with two and three-bedroom apartments for rent that ranges between $30,000- and $52,000 a year.

  • Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival Unveils ‘Festival Favorites’ Lineup, Including U.K. Oscar Contender ‘Santosh’

    Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has unveiled a first batch of titles that will screen as part of its “Festival Favorites” lineup, showcasing the cream of the international fest crop for Arab audiences. Besides including recent Cannes standouts such as Sandhya Suri’s crime thriller “Santosh” (pictured) –which will represent the U.K. in the international Oscars race — and Chinese auteur Guan Hu’s noir “Black Dog,” this year’s selection has a strong accent on titles from Africa and the Arab world.

  • GCC Secretary General: GCC-EU Summit a Milestone in Deepening Ties

    In his remarks, Albudaiwi highlighted that, according to the cooperation agreement signed by both sides in 1988 and the Joint Action Programme for the period 2022-2027, which includes constructive mechanisms and proposals for cooperation in political, security, economic, and other fields, this distinguished relationship is a source of pride due to its high standing on many fronts, including political coordination, energy cooperation, and academic, health, and cultural collaboration. He noted that the strategic partnership holds great potential to achieve higher economic, political, and security integration levels and enhance communication between our peoples.

  • EU, GCC forge stronger economic ties with focus on sustainable energy, trade

    “We agree to continue our dialogue on a regular basis by holding a summit every two years and look forward to the next summit in Saudi Arabia in 2026,” stated the joint statement. Jasem Al-Budaiwi, the GCC secretary-general, noted that the event underscores the shared commitment of both regions to strengthen political and economic partnerships, as well as to advance cooperation in areas such as political coordination, energy, health, education, and cultural exchanges. He also highlighted the robust trade relations between the two blocs, mentioning that trade volume between the GCC and the EU exceeded $204 billion in 2022, accounting for approximately 13 percent of the GCC’s total trade in goods.

  • EU backs Arab demands for Iran to end ‘occupation’ of islands

    The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) have jointly urged Iran to relinquish control of three Persian Gulf islands, which it has held since 1971 following Britain's withdrawal from the region. The joint statement, issued on Wednesday during the first EU-GCC summit in Brussels, urges Iran to end its control of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, islands claimed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after it gained independence following Britain's withdrawal.

  • First European Union-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit – Joint Statement

    We, the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held our first Summit on 16 October 2024 in Brussels, Belgium, under the theme “Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity” to celebrate the deepening partnership between the two blocs, co-chaired by H.E. Charles Michel, President of the European Council and H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar as rotating President of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in the presence of H.E. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and, H.E. Jasem Al Budaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and H.E. Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

  • EU, Gulf states seek give and take on Ukraine, Middle East

    EU and GCC sources both said the negotiations on the finalized joint statement in the weeks leading up to Wednesday's summit were difficult. Top of Europe's wishlist was strong wording condemning Moscow for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One EU diplomat said initially, the GCC — the group of wealthy Gulf states that includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — wanted no direct reference to Russia in the text. Ultimately, leaders compromised by simply lifting the language from a 2022 United Nations General Assembly resolution in which they "deplore in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine."

  • EU sanctions Iran over alleged missile transfers to Russia

    The European Union has announced sanctions against more than a dozen Iranian individuals and firms, including the country’s deputy defence minister and national airline, over the alleged transfer of missiles and drones to Russia. The European Council said on Monday that seven individuals and as many entities in total would be subject to an asset freeze and travel ban over their involvement in transferring weapons and equipment to Moscow for use in its war against Ukraine.