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There appeared to be limited interest from the Gulf region in China's third Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation.  The UAE was the most notable Gulf presence, sending Ras Al-Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al-Qasimi to lead its delegation. 

A Dubai-based company backed by a well-connected but relatively low-profile member of Dubai's ruling Al-Maktoum family has been signing deals across Africa to generate carbon credits – while generating some controversy in the process.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan opened the eighth World Investment Forum, organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Ras Al-Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al-Qasimi officially opened the RAK Digital Assets Oasis, a free zone dedicated to digital and virtual assets companies. 

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.

A plan by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and British major BP to jointly buy a 50% stake in Israel's NewMed Energy, the largest shareholder in the offshore Leviathan gas field, may yet collapse after a panel set up by NewMed to review their $2bn offer recommended a higher price tag.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled Bin Mohammed arrived in Serbia late September on what was described as a working visit. Apart from cultivating business ties, the purpose of visiting Belgrade and then Tirana, Albania was not clear. However, analysts suggested that the UAE may be trying to mediate between Serbia and the Albanian-majority territory of Kosovo, whose independence is not recognised by Belgrade.

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (MBZ) made a surprise visit to Doha early October, ostensibly for the opening of the International Horticultural Expo 2023 but, in reality, to cement and expand relations between the two countries’ leaderships.

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) agreed a bilateral currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) on 28 September, allowing for the exchange of up to AED5bn and EGP42bn – equivalent in both cases to around $1.4bn – between the two institutions.

The UAE is facing further accusations it is using a field hospital in north-east Chad as a cover for supplying arms to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Lieutenant General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (often known as Hemedti), as well as to treat the militia group’s injured fighters.

UAE Vice President, deputy prime minister and Presidential Court chairman Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan opened the 39th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) early October.

Emirati Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saqr Bin Hamad Al-Qasimi was promoted to the role of chairman of the Labour Standards Development Authority (LSDA) in a decree issued by Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al-Qasimi early October.

Sheikh Theyab Bin Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan – son of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (MBZ) – has been named chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court with the rank of minister.

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.

Global and regional powers have drawn up a series of plans to develop new trade corridors through Gulf countries over recent years, with the latest emerging at the G20 summit in India which will pass through the UAE, Saudi Arabia and on to Jordan and Israel. The ambitious plan could take decades to realise and will face competition from rival schemes backed by Iran, Iraq, Russia and Turkey.