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If it were a small nation, Basra could be a wealthy petrostate like Abu Dhabi or Kuwait. Instead, it is Iraq’s poorest province, despite producing 90% of government revenues. It has though been growing in stature and influence – underlined by the success in hosting the Gulf Cup football tournament in January.

Saudi Prince Fahd Bin Mansour Bin Nasser in early March launched the Saudi-Pakistan Tech House in Islamabad, to focus on creating opportunities via partnerships with Pakistani IT companies.

Free trade deal taking Tehran further into Russia’s orbit: Tehran continues to negotiate a free trade deal with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), with local media suggesting an agreement may be signed later this year. Six rounds of talks have been held, following a temporary agreement signed in May 2018 which came into force in 2019.

A United Nations appeal to raise funds to tackle Yemen’s deepening crisis failed to meet its target at the high-level event in Geneva late February, raising just $1.2bn of the $4.3bn that was sought. It was a shortfall that echoed what has happened at past UN fundraising events.

In rare public criticism of the authorities, Grand Mufti of Oman Ahmed Bin Hamad Al-Khalili has voiced his objection to a recent decision to open Omani airspace to Israeli planes.

Overall, the Iraqi delegation - led by foreign minister Fuad Hussein, and included  bankers, businessmen and spin-doctors - left Washington satisfied by the positive optics around the US-Iraq partnership and broad acceptance of prime minister Mohammed Al-Sudani's agenda.  

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdelaziz appointed a well-known local journalist - Salman Bin Yousef Bin Ali Al-Dosari - as media minister, in a minor reshuffle of officials. Al-Dosari is a former editor of London-based daily Asharq Al-Awsat.

Qatar rapprochement: Efforts to rebuild relations between Manama and Doha are continuing, following a series of contacts between leading figures from both countries in January and February, including a phone call between Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Bahrain’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa in late January and a meeting between their foreign ministers in Riyadh in early February

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah left on another trip to receive medical treatment in Italy on 4 March – following four such journeys last year. He had returned from his previous trip in late December.

Fujairah Ruler Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Sharqi represented the UAE at the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha. Hamad Bin Mohammed, who has ruled Fujairah since 1974, also represented the UAE at the China-Middle East summit held in Riyadh in December.

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum announced the birth of his third son, Mohammed, in February. Hamdan’s wife Sheikha Sheikha Bint Saeed Bin Thani Al-Maktoum previously gave birth to twins in May 2021.

Saudi Princess Lamia Bint Majed Bin Saud was reappointed as a goodwill ambassador to the Arab world for the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) late February, for a second term (she was first appointed in 2020).

Major General Pilot Sheikh Ahmed Bin Tahnoun Bin Mohammed Al-Nahyan was named deputy chief of staff of the UAE Armed Forces. He previously served as National and Reserve Service Authority chairman, overseeing the launch of national service for UAE citizens in 2014.

Former Saudi deputy defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Sultan is being sued for at least £30m ($36m) by an Irish subsidiary of China Minsheng Bank over unpaid debts linked to a personal guarantee he had provided for a private Boeing 787 jet.

Oman's former minister responsible for defence affairs Sayyid Badr Bin Saud Bin Harib Al-Busaidi has died. Badr's influence over defence affairs was curtailed in 2020.