GCC Ministerial Council to Meet in Makkah to Discuss Regional, Int’l Affairs 

The GCC foreign ministers are seen during their meeting in Kuwait in December. (GCC)
The GCC foreign ministers are seen during their meeting in Kuwait in December. (GCC)
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GCC Ministerial Council to Meet in Makkah to Discuss Regional, Int’l Affairs 

The GCC foreign ministers are seen during their meeting in Kuwait in December. (GCC)
The GCC foreign ministers are seen during their meeting in Kuwait in December. (GCC)

The 163rd Ministerial Council meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will be held in Makkah on Thursday to discuss the latest regional and international developments.

Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya, the current president of the Ministerial Council, will preside over the meeting, which will be attended by the GCC foreign ministers.

GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said joint ministerial meetings will also be held with the Foreign Minister of Egypt Badr Abdelatty, Syrian FM Asaad Al Shibani, Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita and Jordan’s FM and Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi.

The discussions with Egypt, Syria, Morocco and Jordan will focus on boosting strategic relations and joint cooperation in various fields to achieve mutual interests, Albudaiwi said.

The meetings will continue consultation and coordination on regional and international issues with the aim of supporting regional security and stability.

Meanwhile, the GCC Ministerial Council will address several reports on the implementation of decisions taken by the Supreme Council of the GCC in Kuwait in December.

Discussions will also cover memorandums and reports submitted by ministerial and technical committees, as well as the General Secretariat.

Officials will tackle issues related to strategic dialogues and relations among the GCC, other states, and global blocs. The latest regional and international developments affecting the region will also be addressed.



Gulf Airlines Cancel Flights after Israel Strikes Iran

Photo by WAM
Photo by WAM
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Gulf Airlines Cancel Flights after Israel Strikes Iran

Photo by WAM
Photo by WAM

Airlines in the Gulf have cancelled flights to many Middle East destinations as some governments closed their airspace following Israeli strikes on Iran.

Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, said it had cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran after Israel launched the strikes.

Several flights scheduled for Friday and one Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline's website.

Qatar Airways, the country's national carrier and one of the Middle East's largest, said it had "temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region".

UAE airports have warned of disruption, with Dubai posting on X that "some flights at @DXB and DWC - Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria".

Abu Dhabi airport warned "flight disruptions are expected through today (Friday)" as a result of the Israeli strikes.

Earlier Friday, Jordan and Iraq, which both lie between Israel and Iran, announced they had closed their airspace and grounded all flights after Israel's strikes.

Jordan's military said it intercepted drones and missiles that had violated the kingdom's airspace, after Iran vowed there would be "no limits" in its response to Israeli attacks.

Israel pounded Iran with a wave of strikes against military and nuclear industry targets, that killed the armed forces' chief of staff, the Revolutionary Guards chief and top nuclear scientists.

The Israeli military said Iran had launched about 100 drones in retaliation, which it was seeking to shoot down.