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Saudi FM in Luxembourg for GCC-EU Forum on Regional Security, Cooperation

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)
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Saudi FM in Luxembourg for GCC-EU Forum on Regional Security, Cooperation

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah arrived in Luxembourg on Sunday to participate in a high-level forum on regional security and cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU.
The Minister will discuss with participants at the forum the ways to promote cooperation between the GCC and the European Union in various fields, and the importance of multilateral coordination, the developments on the regional and international levels.
Prince Faisal will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the forum.
On Sunday, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Al Budaiwi said that the forum is an opportunity to promote dialogue, and to strengthen coordination on issues related to regional and global stability, and security.
Al Budaiwi stressed that by working to strengthen bilateral relations and develop new cooperation mechanisms, the two parties will reach common viewpoints on many issues.
The forum will be chaired by Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell.
Senior officials and the foreign ministers of the GCC and EU states will attend.
Last month, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council met in Brussels with Luigi Di Maio, the EU Special Representative for the Gulf region. They discussed the preparations for the forum and the topics that need to be highlighted, mainly the situation in Gaza and the bilateral relations between the gulf countries and the European Union.
The forum will be held amid rising tension in the Middle East, mainly the Israeli war in Gaza.

On October 10, 2023, a joint meeting was held between GCC foreign ministers and the EU in Muscat. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell had met with senior GCC officials including three meetings with the Saudi foreign minister.

On Wednesday, Borrel held a telephone call with his Saudi counterpart. They discussed the deepening instability in the Middle East stressing the need to coordinate efforts for de-escalation, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

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Gulf

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain Discuss Efforts to Bolster Regional Security, Stability

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Bahrain Discuss Efforts to Bolster Regional Security, Stability

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held talks in Riyadh on Tuesday with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. 

The talks focused on the latest regional developments and efforts exerted towards them to bolster stability and security. 

King Hamad had arrived in the Saudi capital earlier on Tuesday. He was welcomed at King Khalid International Airport by the Crown Prince. 

The talks between the two leaders also tackled the historic ties between their countries and aspects of cooperation and means to bolster and develop them. 

Crown Prince Mohammed underscored the Kingdom’s keenness on deepening the close fraternal relations with Bahrain in all fields. 

For his part, King Hamad hailed the efforts by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed to strengthen ties between their countries. 

He also praised the honorable historic Saudi stances taken towards Bahrain and its people on all occasions. 

He expressed his appreciation for the Saudi leadership’s efforts in developing collective Gulf work and its pioneering role in supporting the pillars of security, peace and stability in the region. 

Gulf

What Does the Approval of an Advanced Command for the Unified Military Command in Kuwait Signify?

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman attends the 23rd meeting of the GCC's Joint Defense Council in Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2026. (SPA)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman attends the 23rd meeting of the GCC's Joint Defense Council in Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2026. (SPA)
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What Does the Approval of an Advanced Command for the Unified Military Command in Kuwait Signify?

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman attends the 23rd meeting of the GCC's Joint Defense Council in Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2026. (SPA)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman attends the 23rd meeting of the GCC's Joint Defense Council in Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2026. (SPA)

GCC defense ministers on Tuesday approved the launch of an advanced command for the Unified Military Command in Kuwait and allocated appropriate forces to it.

The ministers met at the 23rd session of the GCC Joint Defense Council in Manama, chaired by Bahrain's Minister of Defense Affairs and current session president, Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Hassan Al-Nuaimi.

Analysts and observers speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat viewed the step as a significant move toward strengthening joint Gulf security.

Political researcher Dr. Ayed Al-Manna said the announcement was a step that is both necessary and urgent to guarantee collective Gulf security through the presence of forces tasked with protecting GCC states, independent of any internal disputes or differences.

Al-Manna told Asharq Al-Awsat that unprovoked Iranian attacks against GCC states underscored the critical need for constant, comprehensive readiness to deter external aggression.

The Gulf faces multiple threats, led primarily by the Iranian axis and its regional proxies, including militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

However, Al-Manna added that the security challenges extend beyond this, pointing to threats stemming from Israel and concerns surrounding the "Greater Israel" project.

He noted that the lack of stability in several regional countries and “ambitions” of targeting the Gulf, makes it imperative to boost military readiness and activate the unified Gulf force.

This step should have been taken a long time ago to bolster the security of all GCC states, he remarked.

He underscored the importance of equipping Gulf forces with the necessary military components and capabilities to enable them to deter and respond to any external aggression, meeting the collective security requirements of the council's member states.

Former Saudi officer Abdullatif Al Mulhem told Asharq Al-Awsat that establishing the Unified Military Command is a vital step in advancing joint Gulf military cooperation.

It is essential given the region's current security developments, which demand heightened coordination and readiness among the armed forces of the Gulf countries, he said.

Al Mulhem explained that the military significance of the decision lies in the GCC states strengthening the organizational structure of joint military action through an advanced command. This step is expected to boost coordination among Gulf forces and bolster their capacity to handle shared challenges and threats.

Saudi Arabia is expected to host the upcoming meeting of the Joint Defense Council as announced by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the Manama meeting.

Gulf

Saudi FM Attends Saudi-Qatari-E4 Meeting on Sidelines of G7 Ministerial Meeting in Paris

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Attends Saudi-Qatari-E4 Meeting on Sidelines of G7 Ministerial Meeting in Paris

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah took part on Tuesday in a ministerial meeting between Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the E4 countries, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) ministerial meeting in Paris.

The meeting addressed recent developments in the Middle East, including the terrorist Houthi militia’s continued attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and their implications for regional security.

Participants also discussed diplomatic efforts to support mediation between the United States and Iran to de-escalate tensions and contain ongoing regional crises.

The ministers underscored the importance of strengthening international coordination to secure regional waterways, keep trade flowing, and maintain global supply chains.

Also in Paris, Prince Faisal met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha for talks on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them across various fields.

They discussed joint efforts to achieve peace and exchanged views on key regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The ministers signed a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom and Ukraine on the mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports.