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The art-buying habits of Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani have prompted a court battle over the September 2014 sale of a painting by the French post-impressionist Paul Gauguin. With a price tag of $210m Nafea faa ipoipo (When Will You Marry?), was the most expensive painting ever sold at the time, a record now held by the $450m paid for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi last year by a Saudi royal.

Kingdom Holding Company posted a $8.26bn net loss in Q4 08, compared with a gain of $68.2m in Q4 07.

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef (MBN) has had a busy fortnight. On 14 November he held a meeting with new finance minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama) governor Dr Ahmed Al-Khulaifi. MBN praised Sama’s efforts to contribute to “stability”. A day later he attended the final exercise of the ‘Arabian Gulf Security 1’ exercise in Bahrain. On 21 November, he held lengthy talks with Italian interior minister Angelino Alfano – who also met King Salman – to discuss new initiatives in the security, police training and counter-terrorism sectors; Saudi police will soon train in Italy based on a 2007 security pact that has been reinvigorated.

AL SAUD: Marriages; NAYEF: Still abroad; MISHAL BIN ABDULLAH: Najran; SALMAN BIN ABDELAZIZ: Inspections

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan returned to the UAE on 11 January following a private visit to Pakistan. While there, Sheikh Khalifa met Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at least twice, on 31 December and again just before leaving on 11 January. Sheikh Khalifa described relations between the UAE and Pakistan as “distinguished and developing”, according to state news agency Wam. The reason for Sheikh Khalifa’s visit was not clear, though he does often head to Pakistan during Houbara bustard-hunting season, and, for the 2013-14 season, was again given permits covering three areas.

Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (MBR) has become a grandfather again, after his daughter Sheikha Manal gave birth to a boy, Rashid Bin Mansour. Sheikha Manal is one of MBR’s elder daughters; she has been married for 12 years to federal presidential affairs minister Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. Manal has a visible role as head of the UAE Gender Balance Council; she is also involved in charitable affairs and the art scene. MBR is often photographed playing with his grandchildren.

Qatar and France have signed a declaration of intent to establish a strategic dialogue, following talks between deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and France’s Europe and foreign affairs minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Doha on 11 February. The agreement covers a broad range of areas including defence and security, health, education, culture, sports, economy, investment, and combating terrorism. Le Drian said there would be further discussions on regional issues including Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

Prince Mohammed Bin Abdelaziz Bin Mishaal Bin Abdelaziz married a daughter of Prince Turki Bin Sultan Bin Abdelaziz in early May. Prince Mohammed’s father and grandfather, among whose businesses is the Al-Shoula Group which led the Spanish-Saudi consortium which won the Mecca-Medina railway contract in 2011, have been involved in a court battle in the UK, related to a highly acrimonious business dispute.

Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said has been almost entirely absent from view since returning from months of treatment in Germany for what is thought to be cancer. Qaboos returned to Muscat on 23 March, looking frail but well enough to walk off the plane unaided; photographs released just over two weeks later of him presiding over a cabinet meeting also appeared to show him in good spirits.He has not been seen since, however, and the relief in Oman prompted by his return has again turned to speculation.

Crown Prince Sultan buried in Riyadh; TURKI BIN FAISAL: Washington speech; NAYEF BIN ABDELAZIZ: Hajj preparations

Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has met Russian foreign minister Sergie Lavrov, who was visiting the UAE to take part in the first Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)-Russia ministerial meeting for strategic dialogue

King Salman Bin Abdelaziz launched himself on the second phase of his national tour on 19 November, with a three-day trip which took him to Tabuk, Jouf and the Northern Borders. This followed a visit to Qassim and Hail provinces earlier in the month. As with the previous trip, the king was accompanied by a dutiful Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Ameerah Al-Taweel – the former wife of Alwaleed Bin Talal – has been back in the papers calling for women to be allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. She has often said that she drives when overseas, and her public stance and appearances in western media have at times raised eyebrows from the ruling elite back home. “I don’t believe the ban will go on indefinitely,” she told Britain’s MailOnline in late November. “It will be like the decree calling for 20% of parliament to be made up of women – a surprising development, but one which happened very rapidly…

Ruler Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi has ordered the establishment of a non-profit academic and vocational training centre for teachers and other educational leaders, to be called the Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), via an emiri decree issued on 15 June. Sheikh Sultan’s rule has been defined in recent years by his support for local and international education initiatives.

On 15 February, National Guard minister Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah received Lieutenant General Michael Garrett, commanding general of US Army Central (Arcent), which is based in Carolina, with a headquarters element in Kuwait. Garrett visited the Janadriyah festival and even took part in the traditional ardha sword dance. Garrett was last in the kingdom in summer 2016 when he met military officials and toured facilities.