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Profile of Sharjah's Bodour Bint Sultan

Former senior official who left government to focus on business interests.

Profile of Sharjah deputy ruler Sultan Bin Ahmed Al-Qasimi.

Profile of crown prince Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi

The Saudi government has set out SR1.25tn ($333.6bn) worth of spending plans for 2024, in a budget statement issued on 6 December.

Amid the attention garnered by the UAE with the COP28 climate change summit in Dubai, a number of female members of Gulf royal families have been getting involved in the environmental debates.

With a change of leadership, more macroeconomy savvy approach and an embrace of new technologies, Oman has found a private sector-led recipe for diversification that should prepare it for life beyond hydrocarbons dependence.

The prospect of the UAE vice president gaining control of the influential right-wing newspaper is causing concern among many in the UK’s ruling Conservative Party – and may yet be thwarted by an official investigation. But the prospective deal highlights how Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan is steadily expanding his international media portfolio, increasing Abu Dhabi’s soft power in the process.

This issue of GSN leads with concerns surrounding succession in Kuwait. As Emir Sheikh Nawaf suffers more medical issues, the leadership is moving to resolve outstanding political tensions with parliamentarians and within the ruling family.  In a special report, GSN examines Oman’s economic recovery and ambitions since Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said took office in 2020. A blend of reforms to tackle a debt bulge, savvy hiring decisions and ambitious green energy plans make for a more positive outlook for the sultanate, even if there remains much more to do.  The first Iraqi provincial elections in a decade take place later this month. GSN examines the politics, including what the vote means for the Shia/Sunni balance of power and how the Kurds are involved — or not – and, it asks, whether the 2019 Tishreen protestors can still be a potent force. Also in Iraq, GSN examines the Federal Supreme Court’s decision to remove Mohammed Al-Halbousi as Council of Representatives speaker. GSN follows up its Gaza coverage by looking at Qatar’s role in diplomatic efforts to reconcile Israel and Hamas – and criticism that Doha may be too close to the Palestinian group.  Ever louder concerns are being expressed in the UK over UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan’s bid for the influential Telegraph Media Group. GSN analyses another big soft power play coming from Abu Dhabi. Artificial Intelligence is another area where recent Gulf expansion has caused discomfort for western powers as the US Committee on Foreign Investment has forced Saudi Aramco backed Prosperity7 Ventures from investing in AI startup Rain Neuromorphics.  Meanwhile COP28 has begun, with disputes over the UAE leadership apparent scepticism towards global climate reduction targets and a host of investment pledges. GSN's Risk Management Reports cover Yemen – with an accompanying map showing oil and gas infrastructure, as well as areas of military control – and also regional institutions (including the GCC’s annual summit) and Opec and energy markets. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin made an unexpected visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia on 6 December – a rare foreign excursion for a leader who has tended to stay close to home since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Notably, neither Gulf country is a signatory to the International Criminal Court, which in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin over Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Emir Sheikh Nawaf’s admission to hospital in late November has directed renewed attention on the succession process in Kuwait, where Crown Prince Mishaal has been in de facto control for the past two years and now appears to be taking steps to ensure some of the more contentious political issues are resolved before he takes the top job.

Qatar has said it is continuing to push for a permanent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, after a week-long ‘humanitarian pause’ it helped to foster ended on 1 December. The resumption of fighting has seen Israel launch a major bombardment of southern Gaza and brought renewed condemnation from Gulf governments.

Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum led the way on prisoner pardons ahead of the UAE’s 52nd National Day on 2 December, ordering 1,249 inmates to be freed from the emirate’s prisons on 29 November. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan released a further 1,018 prisoners.

By forcing a Saudi Aramco-backed venture capital fund to divest its stake in a Silicon Valley AI start-up the United States has signalled its increased scrutiny of Gulf investment in sensitive technologies.

A showcase mega-event has its downsides, even while the climate  talks place the UAE at the centre of the global stage.