Gulf and Red Sea Regions

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, said on Thursday that “practical measures” could be introduced to restore travel and trade links with Qatar within a week. On Saturday, 9th of January all ports of entry will open between Qatar and UAE. 

A new underground missile base in Iran's Hormozgan province, north of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, was unveiled on Friday.

Germany, France and the United Kingdom have strongly urged Iran to stop enriching uranium to up to 20% without delay, reverse its enrichment programme to the limits agreed in the JCPoA and to refrain from any further escalatory steps which would further reduce the space for effective diplomacy.

The theme of unity and solidarity dominated the summit, and was the basis of the document known as the Al Ula Declaration, signed by the leaders  at the end of the meeting. The EU has welcomed the results of the Al Ula summit describing them as "significant developments as they will considerably strengthen regional stability and restore GCC unity and cooperation in full."

Leaders from the six nation Gulf Co-operation Council meet in Saudi Arabia this week. After months of discussions the rift between Qatar and other GCC members appears to have been healed, opening the prospect for a unified approach to the challenges ahead.

Kuwait has been mediating between the two sides for several months. The re-opening of the border comes just hours before the launch of the 41st GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia.

The forty-first session of the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf will be held tomorrow in Al-Ula Governorate, in Saudi Arabia.  The summit is expected to provide a real opportunity to overcome a number of challenges facing the region, the most important of which is the unity of the Gulf  states efforts to confront the pandemic and restore economic growth for the countries of the region.

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have held multiple rounds of talks since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011 but they have so far failed to produce an agreement on the filling and operation of the vast reservoir behind the 145-meter tall dam.