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The issue leads with an analysis of the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to bring the Syrian regime back into the Arab League. It highlights how even states which object to the rehabilitation of Damascus will not be opposing Syria's readmission, thanks to diplomatic pressure from Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.   The Politics section looks into the divisions within Yemen's anti-Houthi alliance, amid fears of secession by southern groups.   This issue also has a map of Yemen, which shows the balance of forces, as well as the key ports, and oil and gas locations in the war-torn country.   The Defence and Security section sheds light on Russian bids to acquire Iranian speed boats, adding to the list of military hardware that Tehran is providing Moscow with, which is used in the war in Ukraine. The section also reports on the UAE's decision to cancel an order for 12 Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters for financial and technical reasons.   Royals Watch reports on how the Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance Company (QGIRC) is seeking compensation from former chairman Sheikh Nasser Bin Ali Bin Saud Al-Than "for his responsibility for the mistakes he made" while in charge of the business.     This issue's View article showcases the problem of voter fatigue in Kuwait, where Kuwaitis will go to the polls again in June, for the third National Assembly election in as many years.   The two Risk Management Reports are on the UAE.  

MBC Group Holdings, a British Virgin Islands-registered company connected to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ibrahim family, has submitted a petition to a Cayman Islands court to wind up its partnership with a son of Saudi Arabia's late King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz. The move offers an insight into how lucrative deals were awarded in the later years of Abdullah’s reign and how those deals were treated when King Salman Bin Abdelaziz took over in 2015.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Luxembourg-based Banque Havilland and a number of its executives and employees for trying to devalue the Qatari riyal in 2017, at a time when Qatar was facing a boycott by Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and some allied countries.

Saudi Aramco appointed Nasir Al-Naimi as president of its upstream business and Mohammed Al-Qahtani as president of its downstream activities, in a shake-up. Both men will report to group president and chief executive Amin Nasser once they assume their newly-created positions on 1 July.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) ended its boycott of cabinet meetings in early May, as it bowed to international pressure to seek compromise with its main rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). However, hopes have since withered that it might spark a more deep-seated process of co-operation on key issues, amid disputes over regional elections and the federal budget in Iraq.

Regional and international organisations Arab League Summit: Saudi Arabia provided a warm welcome to President Bashar Al-Assad on Syria’s return to the League of Arab States, at the organisation’s 32nd summit, held at the King Abdullah International Conference Centre in Jeddah on 19 May.

Oman's Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said was unusually active in late May, making trips to Cairo and Tehran in quick succession, just as Egypt and Iran were edging towards a diplomatic rapprochement. Recent reports also suggest Oman may once again be acting as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.

Dubai-based Emirates group reported record results, with an 81% increase in revenues to AED119.8bn ($32.6bn) for the 12 months to end-March 2023 and a record annual profit of AED10.9bn. The airline contributed almost all of the group’s profits.

Issue 1171’s leading article looks into the multi-billion revamp of Saudi Arabia’s football league. GSN considers this in the context of Mohammed Bin Salman’s attempts to establish himself as a popular leader in the new emerging world order.  This article is accompanied by a graphic displaying various football clubs across the globe with information on their holdings and spectator attendance.  The following politics articles concern political disputes in Kuwait following the election, Tehran’s clamp down on Iranian Kurdish exiles and the Gulf reaction to Erdoğan’s election win.  GSN defence and security coverage explores an Iranian naval commander’s claims that a new coalition of GCC states is forming to patrol the region’s waters.  As the OPEC+ early-June meeting broke up and with Saudi Arabia’s unilateral oil output of 1m b/d, GSN expects the nation will undertake more haggling will take place amongst the cartel. Risk Management reports for this issue concern Bahrain and Iran whilst the GSN View regards the unsteady fiscal path Iraq is taking.

United States secretary of state Antony Blinken visited Riyadh for talks with senior Gulf Co-operation Council figures as well as Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad Al-Alimi and Iraqi foreign minister Fuad Hussein.

Kirkuk's location on the boundary between the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq has made it a key arena for the rivalry between Erbil and Baghdad. The region’s multi-ethnic character – a legacy of Saddam Hussein's Arabization policy – is likely to be to the fore in the run-up to provincial elections planned for December.

The appointment of the polarising figure of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah as Kuwait's defence minister in the new cabinet unveiled on 18 June could set the scene for further clashes between parliament and the executive, and could also lead to battles within the ruling family coming back into public view.

Qatar and the UAE reopened their embassies in each other's capitals on 19 June, saying it reflected their interest in strengthening bilateral relations. The decision also includes the reopening of Qatar’s consulate in Dubai.

UAE state-owned defence group Edge has signed a partnership and cooperation agreement with the Brazilian Navy for the development of long-range anti-ship missiles.

There are many reasons for environmentalists to be suspicions about the UAE's stewardship of the upcoming UN Climate Conference COP28, but it could prove a historic mistake for the mostly western critics to underestimate the summit's president-designate Sultan Al-Jaber. While detractors fear the event is morphing into a vehicle for hydrocarbons industry lobbying, the UAE claims it is serious about renewable energy and is recruiting a potentially powerful southern alliance to its side.