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Enhancements to the Islamic Republic’s armed forces have been unveiled, with deputy defence minister Reza Mozaffari-Nia on 16 July announcing plans to provide up to 800 new or modernised tanks for the Iranian Army (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). It is not clear over what timescale the tanks will be provided or what the split will be between new and refurbished models. Iran claims to build up to 60 tanks a year, with the most recent addition to the production line being the Karrar (Striker) tank, unveiled in March 2017.

Riyadh-based Alsalam Aerospace Industries has been awarded a $59.7m contract to convert six F-15S aircraft to a F-15SA configuration for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). The work will be carried out in Riyadh and should be completed by early August 2020. The F-15SA is a variant of the F-15 Strike Eagle that was developed specifically for the RSAF.

Senior royals did everything they could to make Chinese President Xi Jinping feel welcome on his three-day visit to the UAE. Xi’s plane was escorted in to Abu Dhabi on 19 July by 12 F-16 and Mirage fighter jets from the UAE Air Force and was met on the ground with a 21-gun salute, followed by a firework display.

Further details have emerged of the alleged plot by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to invade Qatar last summer. Many observers have suspected Riyadh and Abu Dhabi of planning a military assault on Qatar around the time the ‘GCC-3’ and Egypt began their diplomatic and economic embargo. Citing anonymous sources, US website The Intercept on 1 August reported that such a plot was discovered in the early summer of 2017 by Qatari intelligence agents.

The Iranian rial has hit record lows, dropping past IR113,000=$1 on 29 July and continuing to fall since then. Seasonal demand for foreign currency may be contributing to the slump in the rial’s value, but the main problem is looming US sanctions, which are due to take effect in two waves in early August and November. Locals are moving assets into hard currency, gold coins and other safe investments to protect their wealth.

A charismatic leader, as underlined by his generally well-regarded decades of driving Riyadh’s development, King Salman Bin Abdelaziz has been largely overshadowed by his heir-apparent over the two years. But the 82-year-old monarch has not gone away and he now appears willing to flex his political muscles once again, which might keep the ambitious Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) in check to some extent.

Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani’s official visit to London on 22-24 July, was dogged by allegations that Qatar’s opponents had attempted to set up demonstrations by paying actors to attend protests in the city centre. Posters also appeared at prominent sites around the city criticising Qatar’s payment of a ransom to secure the release of royals kidnapped in Iraq in December 2015.Among the protestors was Khalid Al-Hail, who last September organised a sparsely-attended conference in London which was focused on criticising the Qatari leadership.

King Salman Bin Abdelaziz held talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Jeddah on 23 July, discussing ways to develop and strengthen bilateral relations in several areas. Eritrea has become a more significant neighbour for the Gulf countries in recent years, due to its strategic position on the Red Sea. A number of vessels from the Royal Saudi Naval Force used Eritrea’s port of Assab late last year, including two Badr class corvettes and one Al-Jawf class mine counter-measures vessel, possibly as part of Saudi-led operations in the Yemen war.

Gulf bailout: The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are preparing more financial support, although the amount has yet to be revealed; it is likely to come with strings attached, including demands for fiscal reforms such as tax rises and spending cuts to break Bahrain’s cycle of dependency on its wealthier neighbours. It followed pressure on the financial markets, with five-year sovereign credit default swaps trading at their highest levels since the 2008/09 financial crisis.

Ruler Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr’s octogenarian uncle Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi was laid to rest in Al-Qawasim cemetery, in RAK’s Oreibi district, on 2 July. Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that those offering condolences were led by Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. Ruler Sheikh Saud and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud led funeral prayers at Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and UAE Armed Forces deputy supreme commander Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and federal Vice President and prime minister and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum opened the Warner Bros World theme park in Abu Dhabi on 23 July. Located on Yas Island, close to the Ferrari World theme park, Yas Waterworld and the Formula 1 motor racing circuit, the Warner Bros park opened to the public two days later.

Work has started on the construction of new barracks for US and allied forces at Al-Udeid Air Base near Doha, as part of its multi-billion dollar expansion plan. Minister of state for defence affairs Khalid Bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah presided over a ground-breaking ceremony at the site on 24 July, accompanied by US chargé d’affaires Ryan Gliha and Brigadier General Jason Armagost, commander of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing of the US Air Force, which is stationed at Al-Udeid.

Federal Vice President and prime minister and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (MBR) attended the final day of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Endurance Festival in Tuscany, Italy on 27 July. The event involved more than 500 competitors racing over a distance of 120km at the San Rossore racecourse and was dominated by Emirati riders. The race was won by Saeed Al-Kheyari, with Salem Al-Owaisi and Salem Malhouf in second and third place respectively.

With the summer heat in full force, King Salman Bin Abdelaziz opted for an unusual place to take a break: the yet-to-be-built city of Neom in the kingdom’s north-west corner, abutting Egypt and Jordan, is his chosen destination. Eschewing his usual break in Tangier, Morocco, Salman arrived at the site on 30 July to “spend some time in rest and recreation”, the official statement said. The monarch chaired a session of the cabinet the following day, providing symbolic confirmation of Neom’s incorporation into the new Saudi Arabia being crafted by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) and his teams of advisors.

Foreign affairs minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah held talks with the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs Federica Mogherini in Brussels on 13 July, after which he announced the EU was to open an embassy in Kuwait before the year’s end. The decision was confirmed by Brussels three days later.