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In a major coup for Qatar, Doha has been credited with brokering a four-day truce in Gaza, which was due to come into effect as GSN was going to press, in a deal where Hamas would start freeing its 7 October hostages while Israel releases Palestinian prisoners from its jails. There is still a huge amount of work to do by international partners if a wider peace settlement is to be achieved, but what is clear is that Qatari actors have emerged as international players after years of effort to position Doha as a deal-broker that can be all things to all men.

Kuwait may be heading for a change in government and yet another general election, with a series of political challenges facing the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah – who, GSN understands, is in any case losing interest in the job.

Plans to build the 'Friendship Bridge' between Bahrain and Qatar have been revived, during a visit by Qatari foreign affairs minister and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al-Thani to Manama in November.

Saudi Power Procurement Company issued a request for qualification (RfQ) in November for projects involving some 3.7GW of solar power generation capacity in the fifth round of bidding under the Ministry of Energy's National Renewable Energy Programme.

Bahrain's King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa was given a refresher flying course in November. King Hamad, who among other titles is supreme commander of the country’s armed forces, graduated as a helicopter pilot in January 1978.

The organisational structure of Hamas is clouded in secrecy, but the current war – and negotiations to bring it to an end – mean it is now critical for Israel and other parties to understand how the group operates and makes its decisions.

Muscat has signed a contract to delivery 1m t/yr of liquified natural gas (LNG) to United Kingdom-based energy major BP. The agreement was signed by Oman LNG on 21 November and will run for nine years, starting in 2026.

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum launched a generative artificial intelligence (AI) competition in early November, with prizes of AED1m ($272,000) available for winners of the Global Prompt Engineering Championship.

Qatar Foundation (QF) chair Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser led a roundtable discussion in Doha in November to review the humanitarian situation in Gaza and ways to provide support to Palestinians.

The issue leads with a focus on the role Qatari diplomacy is playing in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. GSN examines the details of events surrounding an agreed four-day truce in Gaza and the key Qatari figures involved in the diplomatic push. GSN also focuses on Yemen, where Omani officials appear confident that, despite international diplomatic attention having largely switched to the Gaza conflict, a peace settlement can be achieved soon between Saudi Arabia and the warring factions in Yemen. Politics coverage include an examination of the latest development in Kuwait, which may be heading for a change in government and yet another election, amid a series of political challenges facing Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah. Defence and security coverage includes a closer look at the recent Dubai Airshow where, among the 54 deals signed by the UAE government’s Tawazun Council, was an air defence order with the unknown Black Diamond company, which GSN’s research suggests is an Israeli-linked venture created after Abu Dhabi’s Abraham Accord with Israel was concluded. Finance and business coverage includes a look at a joint venture bid between a US-based investment firm and Abu Dhabi’s International Media Investments (IMI) to acquire the UK's Telegraph Media Group (TMG). The GSN View looks at the growing profile of Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who has been trying to cement his status within the political arena and among local citizens since being named crown prince in March. Two Risk Management Reports focus on the UAE (Federation and individual emirates).

Emirati Sheikh Rashid Bin Ahmed Al-Maktoum and his British wife Natalie Lankester announced they were expecting a third child. Rashid Bin Ahmed is a professional show jumper, while his wife represents the UAE in dressage competitions; together they run the DXB Horses team. 

Houthi forces in Yemen have continued to launch missiles and drones towards Israel. A drone from Yemen was shot down over the Red Sea in mid-November by the United States Navy destroyer USS Thomas Hudner.

Kuwait recorded a KD6.5bn ($21bn) surplus for fiscal year ending 31 March 2023, its first annual surplus since 2014/15.

The usual dizzying number of civil and military contracts were unveiled at the mid-November Dubai Airshow where, included among the 54 deals signed by the UAE government's Tawazun Council, was an air defence order with the unknown Black Diamond company, which GSN's research suggests is an Israeli venture created after Abu Dhabi's Abraham Accord was concluded.

Saudi Arabia is due to bring in a new legal framework for businesses in mid-December. The Civil Transactions Law sets out a new code for property rights, financial transactions and other contracts.