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Minister of state for the Middle East and North Africa James Cleverly moved over to become minister for Europe in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 8 February ministerial reshuffle.
Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah returned from his private trip to Germany on 5 February. He had left Kuwait on 20 January, on what was presumed to have been a trip to receive further medical treatment.
Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said left on a three-day trip to Germany on 10 February.
Houthi attempts to fire missiles at the UAE in January underlined the Yemeni rebel movement’s ability to project drones and basic missiles across a wider region. GSN examines the Houthi movement’s long history and current capabilities with missiles.
Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) has announced that it has successfully closed a $15.5bn lease and leaseback deal for its gas pipeline network, announced in December.
Saudi Aramco has discovered five more conventional and unconventional gas fields, according to remarks by energy minister Prince Abdelaziz Bin Salman.
Iran's ambassador to the UK Mohsen Baharvand has been removed from his post, following a video that appeared online showing an event at the Iranian embassy.
GSN Risk Grade: D4↓ Recent developments- Presidential deal: The KRI’s two main parties – the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – remain deadlocked over who should be chosen as the next federal president.
Bahrain’s leadership was busy bolstering ties with its most important partners in early March. While King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa went to Riyadh on 2 March, his son Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman went to Washington.
Reports persist of arms shipments into the Ethiopian conflict zone, including drones from Iran and the UAE, which have been flown in to support Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s army against the rebel Tigray Defence Forces.
The Houthi movement has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations to allow 1.1m bbl of crude oil to be taken off the stranded SFO Safer, the rusting tanker close to Hodeidah port.
King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa was in the UAE in mid-March, following on from his recent trip to Saudi Arabia.
Bahraini Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa held a number of business meetings while in the United States in early March for the Second US-Bahrain Strategic Dialogue.
GSN understands that Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said’s decision to extend his trip to Germany in February was due to the Omani ruler’s family being captivated by the pleasure of their first stay in a mountain-top villa in Garmisch-Patenkirchen, which the sultan inherited from his cousin Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said.
Some SR29.7bn ($7.9bn)-worth of contracts and 22 localisation agreements were signed at the first World Defence Show (WDS), held on the outskirts of Riyadh on 6-9 March. GSN takes a closer look at the contracts awarded and provides brief profiles of leading Saudi defence companies.