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An unnamed Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) air defence commander has been sentenced by a Tehran military court to 13 years in prison for their role in the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS 752 shortly after it took off from Tehran in January 2018.

The Meraj-532 is the first Iranian drone known to be launched from a speeding vehicle, which means it does not need a rocket booster system for take-off. The weight saved appears to have been traded in for a larger warhead.

Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi was conferred with France’s National Order of the Legion of Honour at the rank of Grand Officer, in recognition of his scientific, cultural and literary achievements and his efforts to boost bilateral relations.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani reshuffled the country’s security establishment in a series of decrees and orders, naming his brother and interior minister Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani as commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya).

Construction work is underway on a 2,400-metre runway on Abd Al-Kuri, the westernmost island in Yemen's Socotra archipelago, according to recent satellite imagery. Local press reports have said the UAE is behind the project, but there has been no official confirmation of its involvement.

While most Gulf energy giants are focused on domestic production, QatarEnergy continues to pursue a distinctive strategy, acquiring large minority stakes in acreage around the world, where it often works alongside TotalEnergies, Eni and Shell.

Saudi Prince Fahd Bin Saad Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Bin Turki was named governor of Al-Diriyah, a governorate on the outskirts of the capital. He takes over from Prince Ahmed Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulrahman, who was relived of the job after more than six years in post.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ibrahim Bin Ahmed Al-Mualla was named director general of Umm Al-Quwain (UAQ)'s Department of Economic Development on 11 April, in a decree by UAQ Ruler Sheikh Saud Bin Rashid Al-Mualla.

Oman's Ministry of Energy and Minerals has opened a new bidding round for hydrocarbons concessions, including Block 15 at Jebel Aswad, south of Ibri, Block 36 at Fasad, adjacent to the Oman-Yemen-Saudi border triangle, and onshore Block 54 at Karawan, south-west of Duqm.

There is hope of peace in Yemen, but a breakthrough between Houthi rebels and Riyadh remains just out of reach, despite extensive talks in Sanaa, where ambassador Mohammed Al-Jaber made the first senior Saudi visit since 2015. However, further talks are due to be held in May, against the backdrop of improving Saudi-Iran relations and a wider regional trend favouring diplomacy over conflict.

Doha-based Urbacon Trading & Contracting (UCC) has signed a contract to build a 1GW power plant in Libya, as it looks abroad to make up for the post-Fifa World Cup lull in construction activity in its home market.

Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (Kufpec) has completed the sale of its 10% working interest in two production licences (PLs) in Norway to Lime Petroleum.  It said it had achieved record profits from its Norwegian assets in 2022, describing the sale as one of its most successful divestments.

Syrian foreign minister Faisal Mekdad travelled to Jeddah for talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, as part of a concerted attempt by Riyadh to move the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad back into the Arab mainstream. Prince Faisal then travelled to Damascus for talks with Assad, the first such trip by a Saudi foreign minister since 2011.

The issue leads with Yemen where against the backdrop of improving Saudi-Iran relations and a wider regional trend favouring diplomacy over conflict, a breakthrough between Houthi rebels and Riyadh remains just out of reach. GSN reflects on the fresh outbreak of violence in Sudan, which has shown the limits of Saudi and UAE influence, despite years of close involvement by the regional powers. GSN examines the political situation in Kuwait, which is braced for another parliamentary election and where a high profile member of the Al-Sabah has been jailed following a $1bn graft case. The issue also analyses the balance of power in the UAE following President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalid Al-Nahyan's (MBZ) appointment of his son Sheikh Khalid as Abu Dhabi crown prince. Energy and industry coverage leads with a focus on a new agreement between Iraq's federal government and the Kurdish authorities in Erbil that has cleared the way for Kurdish oil exports to resume via a pipeline to Turkey. Finance and business coverage leads with Bahrain, where the government is offering a ‘golden licence’ to companies that invest in large projects, in the latest sign of increasingly stiff competition among Gulf economies for international capital. Risk Management Reports are on Kuwait and Oman.

Manama is offering a 'golden licence' to companies that invest in large projects and create hundreds of jobs for locals, in the latest sign of increasingly stiff competition among Gulf economies for international capital