Search results

Local defence conglomerate Edge Group signed an agreement with the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Emirates Development Bank on 21 June which will provide up to AED1bn ($270m) in financial backing for further development of Edge’s technologies and manufacturing processes.

UAE Sheikh Majid Bin Sultan Bin Saqr Al-Qasimi was named head of the Department of Suburbs and Villages Affairs and made a member of the Sharjah Executive Council.

Iraq's Defence Industries Commission presented the country's first domestically-manufactured handgun. The Babel handgun has been developed in partnership with China North Industries Corporation (Norinco).

Investment deals worth $7.7bn were announced during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Abdelaziz (MBS)’s Cairo trip on 20 June, involving well-established and well-connected companies.

Kuwait may be heading for its fifth general election in ten years, after Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah said the National Assembly (parliament) would be dissolved. The authorities are hoping a fresh vote will break the political logjam the country has found itself in since early April.

Leaders from across the Arab Gulf states and Egypt have been travelling around the region to heal fractures and head off the perceived threat from Iran’s nuclear ambitions, amid speculation that more GCC member states could move towards normalisation with Israel when US President Joe Biden comes to the region.

Dana Gas has suspended a project to expand output at the Khor Mor gas field, following a series of rocket attacks in Iraq.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad Al-Alimi has also been on a regional tour - visiting Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar - as a recently-extended truce with the Houthi rebels continues to hold.

The first UAE-Australia Defence Industries Forum was held at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi. Ten Australian companies attended the  event.

Oman's Royal Court Affairs secretary general Nasr Bin Hamoud Bin Ahmed Al-Kindi – who was appointed in March 2011 under then Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said  – has been given further responsibilities for the finances and administration of the Diwan of the Royal Court.

Iraq's state-owned Basra Oil Company (BOC) will acquire the biggest share in ExxonMobil's stake in the West Qurna 1 oilfield. Others involved in the field include PetroChina, Japan's Itochu, Indonesia's Pertamina and Iraq's Oil Exploration Company.

Gulf sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are flexing their muscles again, with logistics now a key focus. While high oil prices have bolstered Gulf funds, their recovery began before prices shot up this year.

Gulf Co-operation Council countries continue to develop their links with Moscow, in the face of concerted pressure by western governments to loosen the ties.

The issue leads with an examination of a surge in diplomatic activity ahead of the planned arrival of US President Joe Biden in mid-July – with leaders from across the Arab Gulf states and Egypt travelling around the region to heal fractures and head off the perceived threat from Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Politic coverage includes an analysis of the aftermath of government reshuffles in Bahrain and Oman and a look at Kuwait, which may be heading for its fifth general election in ten years. Defence and security coverage includes news that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) has appointed a new head of intelligence and a look at the first UAE-Australia Defence Industries Forum, which was recently held in Abu Dhabi. Finance and business leads with an examination of the UAE stepping up its engagement with Sudan, with national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al- Nahyan thought to be playing a leading role. Risk management reports are on Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The GSN View focuses on UAE citizenship rules.

A reshuffle of senior Kuwaiti ambassadors is continuing, with veteran envoy to London Khaled Al-Duweisan retiring after 29 years in the post.