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Gulf leaders have been prominent interlocutors with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the days since an abortive mutiny by the Wagner Group mercenary force led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said he received a favourable reception to the idea of forming a new dialogue forum with Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, following a series of meetings with his counterparts around the region in June.

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah returned home on from his latest round of medical treatment in Italy. The Kuwaiti ruler has made repeated trips to Italy over the past 18 months to seek medical care.

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.

Most members of the annulled 2022 chamber retained their seats in Kuwait's 6 June National Assembly election, leaving opposition figures with a clear majority and likely to push for reforms unpalatable to the government of returning Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Sabah. Adding to a complex situation is the poor health of the PM's father, Emir Sheikh Nawaf.

There are clear signs of fatigue and apathy among both voters and candidates, as the Kuwaiti electorate and candidates gear up for yet another National Assembly (parliament) election on 6 June. It will be the third national poll in as many years.

Bashar Al-Assad's regime in Syria has been readmitted to the Arab League after more than a bloody decade on the sidelines, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE orchestrated a vote in favour ahead of a 19 May summit in Jeddah. Regional opposition to Syria hasn't disappeared, but Qatar and Kuwait decided not to stand in the way of readmission, in a further indication of Riyadh's new-found desire to flex its diplomatic muscles whatever western allies might think.

Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah submitted her credentials as Kuwait's ambassador to the United States during a meeting with President Joe Biden in April. She is Kuwait's first female ambassador in Washington. 

Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah formally dissolved the National Assembly (parliament) via decree on 1 May, setting in motion the move towards another general election.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani travelled to London to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III on 6 May. Also to attend the service was Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and Oman's culture, sports and youth minister Sayyid Theyazin Bin Haitham Al-Said. It was not clear who would attend from the UAE or Saudi Arabia.

New government, further elections=political risk downgrade: Kuwaiti politics and government remain in flux after Crown Prince Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced the dissolution of the National Assembly (parliament) on 17 April, setting the scene for a third general election in as many years.

Kuwait's political turmoil has continued in the wake of the shock Constitutional Court ruling on 19 March that annulled last year's general election and reinstated the previous parliament. In a bid to move the situation forward, Crown Prince Mishaal has dissolved the newly-returned chamber and set the scene for yet another poll. The new cabinet announced in early April is likely to be in post for only a couple of months.

In Kuwait, the court’s willingness to hold members of its ruling family to account has been revived, with a ten-year prison sentence handed to Sheikh Sabah Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, son of the former premier Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, for his role in a $1bn corruption case.

Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (Kufpec) has completed the sale of its 10% working interest in two production licences (PLs) in Norway to Lime Petroleum.  It said it had achieved record profits from its Norwegian assets in 2022, describing the sale as one of its most successful divestments.

Sheikha Basmah Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, wife of Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, held a lunch for around 25 female ambassadors and wives of ambassadors at Al-Rimiya Farm in Al-Abdali area.