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Riyadh has signed partnership deals with the military reserves of Indiana and Oklahoma, mirroring similar deals struck by Oman and Qatar in the past. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb also called into Riyadh in mid-November, as part of a two-country trip to the region which also took in Kuwait.

The days of Ankara focusing its attention in the GCC solely on Qatar are now firmly in the past, as recent agreements point to Türkiye steadily growing its military and commercial links with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, as well as with Doha.

Sheikh Mubarak Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was appointed by emiri decree on 13 November, some three months after the previous post-holder, Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabeh, died. He is only the second person to take charge of the force since it was established in the 1960s.

Tehran has launched a housing development on Abu Musa and floated plans for tourism developments on the island, which is part of a trio of islands controlled by Iran but claimed by the UAE. On nearby Greater Tunb, a power plant has also been brought back online after a four-year hiatus.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement with its Spanish counterpart for the construction of three more Avante 2200 corvettes, in an extension of the existing Sarawat project that began in 2018. The initial phase of the project involved the construction by Spain’s Navantia of five vessels for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF).

The health and status of Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani has been the focus of widespread speculation in recent weeks, with conflicting allegations that he had been injured by an Israeli strike in Lebanon or was an Israeli spy – both of which have been denied by Tehran.

The EU has offered support to the latest Saudi effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, promising to hold a summit in Brussels later this month for the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. At the first EU-GCC summit, held in mid-October, the Europeans also agreed to revive discussions on a trade deal, some 16 years after talks were suspended due to differences over human rights.

The US defence giant has admitted overcharging the US government on contracts for Patriot missiles and a radar system and has also reached a settlement over allegations it paid extensive bribes to Qatari defence officials, including a relative of Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The Kuwaiti and Malaysian governments have agreed to start formal negotiations on a deal to sell the Kuwait Air Force’s fleet of 32 F/A-18 C/D Hornet jets, which are being replaced by more modern aircraft. Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad told Malaysian defence minister Khaled Nordin he saw “no obstacles” to a deal.

A Kuwait Air Force F-18 fighter jet crashed during a training mission on 9 October, with Flight Lieutenant Mohammed Mahmoud Abdulrasoul dying in the incident. It is the first fatal crash suffered by the force in more than two decades.

The barrage of up to 200 ballistic missiles Tehran fired at Israel on 1 October was the latest in a series of escalatory steps taken by Israel and Iran, as a conflict that began in Gaza a year ago threatens to spread across the region. Arab Gulf states have largely been bystanders to the events, but could yet fulfil important roles – by providing mediation, influencing allies and helping to stabilise energy markets.

President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (MBZ)’s visit to the White House on 23 September was the first by a sitting UAE head of state. Against a backdrop of rising violence in Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan, the main breakthroughs were promises of greater co-operation in defence and artificial intelligence.

The consequences of the UAE’s involvement in Sudan’s civil war – where Abu Dhabi has been identified as a key supporter of Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti)’s Rapid Support Forces militia – appears to be increasing, with four of its servicemen alleged to have been killed in South Darfur and the Emirati ambassador’s residence in Khartoum coming under attack.

Dubai Crown Prince and federal defence minister Sheikh Hamdan witnessed the signing of several agreements during his two-day trip to Tashkent.

Iran’s ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, was among those injured when explosives hidden in pagers were detonated across Lebanon on the afternoon of 17 September, in a campaign targeting members of Hizbollah and the group’s allies.