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Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has been comfortably re-elected as speaker of the Majlis-e Shura-ye Eslami (parliament) for the third consecutive year.

GSN Risk Grade: D4 Recent developments- Kadhimi to remain? A group of Iran-backed Shia parties known as the Co-ordination Framework may back Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi for another term of office, according to local media reports.

Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al-Qasimi set up the University of Khorfakkan, described as a “non-profit academic scientific institution”, that will offer degrees in subjects including marine sciences, law, business administration and IT.

Turkey’s Ares Shipyard said it had won a contract to provide its Ares 40 Fast Interceptor Craft to the Qatar Coast Guard. Meanwhile, the Al-Shamal training ship arrived in Doha on 9 June, built by another Turkish firm, Anadolu Shipyard.

UK international trade minister Ranil Jayawardena visited Doha in early June, where he met commerce and industry minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Al-Thani. Jayawardena was also hosted by the Syrian-Qatari Al-Khayyat brothers, Ramez and Moutaz.

United Nations envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council on 14 June there had been no confirmed airstrikes inside Yemen, or cross-border attacks from Yemen, since the first country-wide ceasefire in six years, announced on 2 April. A 60-day extension to the truce was announced by Grundberg on 2 June.  

Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah suffered a “minor discomfort requiring rest”. The episode comes amid lingering concern about the health of Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Russian oil companies – under pressure from international sanctions due to the Ukraine war – are reportedly exploring the idea of setting up oil trading divisions in Dubai.

Dana Gas has suspended a project to expand output at the Khor Mor gas field, following a series of rocket attacks in Iraq.

Manea Bin Hamad Al-Mahdhel Al-Yami, a founding member of the Saudi opposition National Assembly Party (Naas), was killed in Lebanon on 9 July. In a statement on Twitter, Naas said he had been “assassinated in suspicious circumstances”.

Emirati minister of state Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan was in Seychelles as guest of honour at the celebrations to mark the Indian Ocean country’s national day. The UAE has funded a number of projects on La Digue island.

Saudi Arabia's foreign affairs minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Bin Abdullah and UAE foreign affairs and international cooperation minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan were among the attendees at a G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali. Saudi Arabia is a full member of the G20, while the UAE was invited to take part by hosts Indonesia.

The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) is to take over responsibility for maintenance of its Hawk aircraft engines from Rolls-Royce, while the Royal Army of Oman is to take charge of maintenance and repair services for its fleet of armoured personnel carriers from Turkey’s FNSS.

Qatar’s recent deals to bring five majors – Shell, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and Eni – into the $29bn North Field East (NFE) project underline Doha’s ambitions for its liquified natural gas (LNG) sector and Emir Sheikh Tamim’s political priorities, as QatarEnergy’s sales are redirected towards Europe.

Western oil majors have been pulling out of the Russian gas industry, but that presents opportunities for the likes of Saudi Aramco who are less concerned about the reputational impact of investing in Siberian resources.