Gulf Cooperation Council

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.

An Emirati F-16E fighter jet; illustrative.
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

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi chairs an extraordinary meeting of Arab League foreign ministers day before the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Istanbul, Turkey, June 20, 2025

After Iran war, attack on Gulf States, will the GCC withdraw from Arab League - analysis

 A view of Burj Khalifa, after an Iranian attack, following United States and Israel strikes on Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 1, 2026

After the war: A more coordinated, but still divided, Gulf - opinion


How the GCC summit could reshape the Middle East

If we investigate the most important statements made in the Manama Dialogue, we see that Israel has become a stronger team player in Middle East politics following the historic normalization deals

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

Arab youth survey 2020 shows satisfaction gap between GCC, rest of region

Higher quality of life makes those in Gulf states less likely to emigrate

Afghan youths stand on social distancing markers as they buy bread from a bakery, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Jalalabad, Afghanistan May 8, 2020.

Riyadh’s possibilities are many in wake of Israel-Gulf accords

Saudi Arabia seen as softening stance on normalization, but few expect public ties anytime soon.

ABU DHABI’S Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi in November.

Saudi Arabia, Gulf neighbors report more cases of coronavirus

Iran has emerged as an epicenter for the disease in the Middle East.

The stands are seen empty after the decision of the Saudi Ministry of Sports, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at King Saud University Stadium, in Riyadh

How the GCC became a playbook example for modern influence warfare

While the impact of such investments is difficult to measure, the blockade was ultimately catalyzed by Trump echoing the premise, labeling Doha as “a funder of terrorism at a very high level.”

SAUDI ARABIA’S King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah during the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, in December.

Netanyahu: Triangle area won’t be swapped to Palestinians

The land swap is highly controversial, sparking protests in the North and Tel Aviv; Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said he opposes it. PM: there will direct flights from Israel to Saudi Arabia.

Carpet is seen hanging outside a family's home as a military road runs between the Arab-Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm and the Palestinian village of Anin in the West Bank near Jenin

From Manama to Doha: The confabs that define the Gulf and world

The two confabs are important for sharing ideas and grounding various leaders in the region, but they also help to showcase the power and influence of the ostensibly rival camps of Riyadh and Doha.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaks during the opening of the Doha Forum, in Doha, Qatar, December 14, 2019

A poorly attended Arab League summit in Tunis with no concrete results

US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty on the Golan, published a scant few days before the summit, shows what little regard he has for meeting Arab heads of state.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf attend the 30th Arab Summit in Tunis, Tunisia March 31, 2019

Iran: Middle East-U.S. allies face risk of uprising by their own 'humiliated citizens'

"Trump and even his underlings ridicule and humiliate Saudi Arabia and the Emirates day and night, saying that you're nothing without us and cannot last a day without America's support."

Saleh al-Arouri (L), Hamas deputy chief, meets with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's National Security Council, in Tehran, Iran October 21, 2017.

Will America leave the Gulf as China and Russia gain influence?

Some claim that this is finally the time to extricate the US from the Persian Gulf, as it is now oil independent and the region is not vital to US national security interests anymore.

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