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Fujairah Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Sharqi appointed Ahmed Hamdan Al-Zeyoudi as director of the Crown Prince’s Office on 5 February, replacing Salem Al-Zahmi who has been named an advisor Al-Zeyoudi is UAE Taekwondo Federation president.

Saudi Prince Salman Bin Sultan Bin Salman, a grandson of King Salman Bin Abdelaziz, filed a claim in the Delaware Chancery Court against Delaware's Cave Cay LP. Prince Salman claimed Cave Cay was in breach of an agreement.

Sheikh Arhama Bin Saud Bin Khaled Al-Qasimi has been named director of the office of Ras Al-Khaimah Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Bin Saqr Al-Qasimi. Arhama had previously served as director of the crown prince’s media office.

Overshadowed by the events in Kuwait's parliament was a new set of amnesties for 34 critics announced by the Diwan Amiri on 19 January. The majority of those affected were either jailed or convicted in absentia for voicing criticisms of the government. Leading figures in the ruling family appear to have decided they need to do all they can to remain coherent, so they can respond to the opposition from parliament.

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited Kuwait in January for what official Kuwaiti media described as a private visit but which the Bhutanese side called a royal visit. King Jigme Khesar previously visited Kuwait in February 2011. Bhutan has far more extensive links with Kuwait than with any other Gulf country.

Relations between London and Tehran have deteriorated following the execution on 14 January of Iranian-British dual national Alireza Akbari, who had been convicted of spying. Prior to Akbari’s execution, there had been rising speculation in London that the UK could soon designate the IRGC as a terrorist group.

Prominent UAE lawyer Essam Al-Tamimi is being sued in courts in Massachusetts and New York by a former business partner over claims of malicious prosecution, fraud, abuse of process and unjust enrichment.

Following the change in the UAE's chief of staff, Ali Mohammed Hammad Al-Shamsi was promoted in January to Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS) secretary general (SG) via another federal decree. Al-Shamsi was previously deputy SG.

Hassan Kazemi-Qomi was named as the new head of Iran’s mission to Afghanistan in mid-December, taking over from Bahador Aminian. It came soon after comments by Aminian were leaked in which the envoy had described the Taliban as a "calamity" for Afghanistan and the wider world.

Fawzia Abdullah Zainal was named as Bahrain's ambassador to Egypt late December, via a decree issued by King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa. He takes over from Hisham Bin Mohammed Al-Jowder, who had been appointed in 2020.

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (MBZ) appointed Staff Lieutenant General Engineer Issa Saif Mohammed Al-Mazrouei as chief of staff of the UAE Armed Forces, via a decree issued early January. It was the first time the role has changed hands in 18 years.

Kuwaiti diplomat Abdullah Abdulsamad Dashti was appointed United Nations Co-ordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The initiative was launched by Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and the UN to enable exports of grain, foodstuffs and fertiliser from Ukraine via a safe maritime corridor.

There is rising speculation about the potential for Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (MBZ)’s eldest son, Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to fill the role of UAE crown prince. Khalid cut his administrative teeth in the security sector and since 2021 has played a leading role in running the Abu Dhabi government.

The UAE government said on 12 January that Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) chief executive Sultan Al-Jaber has been appointed president of the 28th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which is scheduled to be held in Dubai on 30 November-12 December.

The Iranian authorities’ harsh crackdown on the protesters appears to be having an impact, with far fewer public demonstrations now being reported. Thousands have been arrested and at least four protestors have been hanged following what critics have called sham trials.