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The new UAE Aid Agency will take charge of the UAE’s international disaster relief activities, a role until now filled by the Emirates Red Crescent. The latter has become embroiled in allegations that the UAE has used a relief effort on the Chad-Sudan border as cover to funnel weapons to one of the main combatants in the Sudanese civil war.

The days of Ankara focusing its attention in the GCC solely on Qatar are now firmly in the past, as recent agreements point to Türkiye steadily growing its military and commercial links with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, as well as with Doha.

An Omani government-backed consortium has acquired a 41% stake in Angolan diamond mining venture Catoca from Russian giant Alrosa. It is the second major deal this year by Maaden International Investment involving Russian-owned assets.

After launching a new economic development strategy, Ajman heir apparent Sheikh Ammar Bin Humaid continues to seek fresh deals to bolster the smallest UAE constituent’s economy, including a possible $1bn-plus Chinese investment programme.

Pointing to the mood of caution prevailing in the Saudi economy, revenues are predicted to climb by around 1% in the year ahead, while budget spending is slated to be kept roughly in line with the current year. Meanwhile unemployment is coming down.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ahmed Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa has taken over as transport and telecoms minister from Mohammed Al-Kaabi, while the social development file has passed from Osama Al-Asfoor to Osama Al-Alawi, in a small reshuffle of the Bahraini cabinet.

The start of services on the Riyadh Metro and hotel openings at the Red Sea Project are positive signs of progress in the kingdom’s ‘giga-project’ economy. But for all the hype about the government’s shift away from Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil revenues, hydrocarbons are as vital to the economy today as they were when Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched his Vision 2030 diversification strategy in 2016. The turnover of key executives suggests the Saudi top team is unhappy with progress to date.

Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq went on two state visits in quick succession, with a two-day visit to Ankara followed soon afterwards by a three-day trip to Brussels.

The 9.6m t/yr liquefied natural gas project was originally due to be developed in Fujairah, but was moved to Abu Dhabi emirate in early 2023. Once complete in 2029, it will more than double the UAE’s LNG production capacity to 15.6m t/yr.

Ruling family member Sheikh Saoud Salem Al-Sabah has been appointed managing director of Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, after Ghanem Al-Ghunaiman was unexpectedly replaced.

Sheikh Mubarak Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was appointed by emiri decree on 13 November, some three months after the previous post-holder, Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabeh, died. He is only the second person to take charge of the force since it was established in the 1960s.

A new central bank chief was appointed by Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said in one of nine decrees issued at the start of the year, which also included a new banking law that could have far-reaching implications.

The eighth government reshuffle under Emir Tamim Al-Thani sees minister of state for defence affairs Khalid Al-Attiyah ending his long government career. There have also been changes in the leadership of the Emiri Diwan, the Qatar Investment Authority and the State Security Agency. GSN takes a closer look at the changes.

QatarEnergy has bought a 23% interest in Egypt’s North El-Dabaa (H4) Block in the Mediterranean Sea for an undisclosed amount.

The first comprehensive census since the late 1980s has revealed that Iraq’s population now stands at 45.4m. Details of the census are likely to provoke debate about the allocation of resources, not least in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and could also lead to a sizeable expansion of the number of federal Council of Representatives members of parliament, unless a constitutional amendment is agreed.