Gulf Cooperation Council

Qatar expands national service for non-residents born in the country, children of Qatari mothers

Those who enlist in the national service program will also receive financial incentives and have the opportunity to pursue permanent residency.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
A Qatar flag in front of the Doha skyline on September 20, 2025.
US President Donald Trump attends a GCC summit photo session in Riyadh, alongside Qatari, Saudi, and Bahraini leaders, May 2025.

Gulf states couldn't bear cost of another war, pressure Trump to avoid attacking Iran - analysis

The Gulf countries, meanwhile, understood that they would bear much of the immediate cost of restarting the war against the Islamic regime.

|ByAMICHAI STEIN
An Emirati F-16E fighter jet; illustrative.

UAE tried to coordinate with Saudi Arabia, Qatar to strike Iran during recent war - report

The UAE attempted to convince Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Gulf states to coordinate a military response to Iran’s missile and drone attacks, but neighbors refused, sources told Bloomberg.

|ByJAMES GENN
UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei speaks, on the day of the Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) conference, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 4, 2026.

Fractures rock Gulf alliance as UAE quits OPEC during Iran war - analysis

Abu Dhabi’s exit, a summit snub, and public criticism expose a widening Saudi-Emirati split reshaping energy and security coordination.

|ByJACOB WIRTSCHAFTER / THE MEDIA LINE

Voices from the Arab press: Trump’s Gaza plan remains a fantasy

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

FEBRUARY 21, 2025ByTHE MEDIA LINE
(L-R) US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a backdrop of Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

UAE looks to China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative for future endeavors - analysis

The UAE, like many countries, has trade with China – but that isn’t a zero-sum game in terms of ties to the West.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
China’s Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, China’s President Xi Jinping, United Arab Emirates’ President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Blinken urges Hamas to accept 'extraordinarily generous' Israeli peace proposal, releasing hostages

Blinken will visit Israel and Jordan after he visits Saudi Arabia, the State Department announced on Sunday. The US official will be in the region until May 1.

APRIL 29, 2024ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a Joint Ministerial Meeting of the GCC-US Strategic Partnership to discuss the humanitarian crises faced in Gaza, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 29, 2024.

Turkey and Gulf states to launch talks for free trade pact

After years of tension, Turkey launched a diplomatic charm offensive in 2020 to mend ties with Gulf countries, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

MARCH 21, 2024ByREUTERS
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates meets with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, during an official reception, at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, July 19, 2023.

Qatar to host foreign ministers from Gulf on Sunday

The meeting, reported in Arab News, is expected to take place ahead of the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit.

DECEMBER 3, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Qatar Airways flight.

Gulf states and US seek MidEast stability, Iran 'de-escalation' 

The US and Gulf powers reportedly welcome diplomatic engagement with Iran despite Tehran's history of malign activities.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Leaders and representatives of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attend a meeting during their annual summit in Kuwait City, Kuwait, December 5, 2017.

Qatar's tourism industry thrives post-World Cup: 347% increase in arrivals expected

Doha is increasingly competitive with more traditional tourist centers such as Dubai and Manama.

AUGUST 6, 2023ByHUDHAIFA EBRAHIM/THE MEDIA LINE
Fans arriving in Qatar - Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar - November 19, 2022

Iran, Russia spar over ‘non-negotiable’ Gulf islands

Russia issued a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council in support of the UAE's initiative to reach a peaceful agreement on the three Gulf islands.

JULY 21, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin sits next to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (not pictured) in Tehran, Iran July 19, 2022.

Russia and Gulf countries seek to increase cooperation - analysis

The Gulf is increasingly a center of world affairs, with Russia's meeting with the GCC coming amid the war in Ukraine as well as other high-profile international delegations.

JULY 11, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi attend a joint press conference in Moscow, on July 10, 2023.

Indian businesses invest billions in GCC

Experts disagree on the extent to which the Indian investments benefit the local economies

MAY 14, 2023ByHUDHAIFA EBRAHIM/THE MEDIA LINE
Saudi Arabia hosts a meeting of foreign ministers from Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to discuss Syria's return to the Arab League in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 14, 2023.