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Bahrain's King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa pulled out of attending the finals of the sixth Nasser Bin Hamad Marine Heritage Season, held at the Bahrain National Museum's outdoor arena on 4 November. No reason was given for his withdrawal.

First deputy chairman of the Bahraini Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa travelled to Doha late October to attend the Asian Men’s Handball Qualification Tournament final between Bahrain and Japan.

Even before the new Gaza war shattered comfortable assumptions about regional security, the global economic climate had been hostile, as shown in analysis of the International Monetary Fund's new reports on the global outlook and regional economic performance.

There have been public protests in a number of countries around the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) in support of Palestinians and against Israeli actions in Gaza, but in many countries they have been limited in scope. Huge crowds have taken to the streets in capitals from Rabat to Baghdad, but there have been no major events in the countries where the public space is most tightly controlled, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Governments across the region are trying to ensure the war between Hamas and Israel doesn’t escalate, with potentially disastrous expansion to other fronts. Meanwhile the monarchies and others are trying to assuage the anger many of their citizens feel towards Israel’s actions in Gaza, in a conflict that has profoundly upset recent comfortable assumptions about the regional status quo.

Bahrain's General Sports Authority chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) president Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa was in Riyadh to attend the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Combat Games, the first time the martial arts event has been held in the Arab region.

Official statements from the Gulf monarchies have called for de-escalation and international mediation between Hamas and Israel, but there have been notable differences in where blame has been apportioned.

Italian major Eni has withdrawn from Block 1, relinquishing a licence it gained in 2019 and casting fresh doubt on Bahrain's ability to exploit its offshore resources. 

The Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) announced late September that First Lieutenant Hamad Khalifa Al-Kubaisi had succumbed to the injuries he had sustained during a Houthi attack on Bahraini forces on the Saudi/Yemen border four days earlier, becoming the fourth casualty from the incident.

Supreme Council for Youth and Sports deputy chairman Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa opened the fourth edition of Bahrain Comic Con at the Bahrain International Circuit, with some of his children attending, along with children of national security adviser Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.

Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company chief executive Sheikh Abdulla Bin Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa was appointed as a board member of the Economic Development Board (EDB). He will serve for the rest of the current board’s term, which is due to end in March 2024.

A normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia appears to be closer than ever – even though most commentators had long assumed it could not happen while King Salman Bin Abdelaziz was alive. Riyadh seems intent on extracting far more concessions in any deal than the UAE or Bahrain managed with their Abraham Accords, but it remains to be seen if all sides will be able to find a workable compromise.

Yemen deaths: The Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) announced on 25 September that First Lieutenant Mubarak Hashel Zayed Al-Kubaisi and Corporal Yaqoub Rahmat Moulai Mohammed had been killed while serving along the Saudi-Yemen border. Several others were wounded in what it described as a drone attack by Houthi forces; Warrant Officer Adam Salem Naseeb succumbed to his injuries two days later.

Bahrain's General Sports Authority chairman Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa attended the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia mid-September. 

Inmates at Bahrain's Jau Central Prison halted their hunger strike on the evening of 11 September, amid the deteriorating health of some inmates and a pledge by the authorities to improve conditions within two weeks. More than 800 prisoners had joined the protest, which began on 7 August.