Kuwait Sends Official Invitations to Gulf Summit

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May joins other leaders for a family photo at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Manama, Bahrain December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May joins other leaders for a family photo at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Manama, Bahrain December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
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Kuwait Sends Official Invitations to Gulf Summit

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May joins other leaders for a family photo at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Manama, Bahrain December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May joins other leaders for a family photo at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Manama, Bahrain December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Kuwait on Thursday raised expectations for the planned 38th GCC summit after officially inviting Qatar and Oman to attend the summit scheduled for December 5-6.

Kuwaiti sources, organizing the Gulf summit, said official directives had asked them to work on completing all the procedures, on the basis that the summit would be held on December 5 and 6.

The sources noted that the acceleration of efforts to hold the summit suggested Doha’s acceptance of the conditions imposed by the Arab Anti-Terrorism Quartet, which includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

They also stressed that Kuwait would not have progressed on this step had it not received positive signals to end the Gulf crisis.

The same sources pointed to the visit of Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al Sabah to Riyadh, where he delivered a message to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques from Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, and which came two days after the Emir of Kuwait received the Qatari Emir’s brothers, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad and Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad, who conveyed a verbal message from Sheikh Tamim to the Emir of Kuwait.

On Thursday, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Qatar Hafez Al-Ajmi delivered an official invitation to Sheikh Tamim to attend the summit.

The Kuwaiti news agency reported that Al-Ajmi handed the Emir of Qatar a written message from the Emir of Kuwait, inviting him to participate in the Gulf Summit, which will be held in Kuwait City next week.

Kuwait also announced that Oman’s Sultan Qaboos has received an official invitation to attend the summit.

It is noteworthy that the last Gulf Summit (37th) was held south of the Bahraini capital, Manama, in the presence of British Prime Minister Theresa Mai, who announced a project of strategic partnership between the UK and the Gulf, at the economic, political, defense and security levels.



Syrian President Begins Gulf Tour Following Easing of International Sanctions

A handout photo made available by the UAE's Presidential Court shows President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Emirate of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) and Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa (L) shake hands during their meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 07 July 2025. EPA/THE UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT /HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the UAE's Presidential Court shows President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Emirate of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) and Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa (L) shake hands during their meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 07 July 2025. EPA/THE UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT /HANDOUT
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Syrian President Begins Gulf Tour Following Easing of International Sanctions

A handout photo made available by the UAE's Presidential Court shows President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Emirate of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) and Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa (L) shake hands during their meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 07 July 2025. EPA/THE UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT /HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the UAE's Presidential Court shows President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Emirate of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) and Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa (L) shake hands during their meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 07 July 2025. EPA/THE UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT /HANDOUT

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has begun a tour of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, marking his second visit to the region and his first since most international sanctions on Syria were lifted.

The trip, which began in the United Arab Emirates, underscores Damascus’s push to reintegrate economically and diplomatically into the Arab world after more than a decade of isolation.

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the tour aims to bolster economic cooperation and attract Gulf investments to support Syria’s national reconstruction and development plans.

Al-Sharaa arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday, where he was received by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two leaders held official talks focusing on post-war recovery, economic partnership, and infrastructure development.

Speaking during the meeting, al-Sharaa said Syria has “turned the page on war and division” and is now focused on building “strategic partnerships” with its Gulf neighbors. He praised the UAE’s role in supporting regional stability and expressed interest in learning from the Emirati model in sustainable development, digital transformation, and clean energy.

For his part, Sheikh Mohamed reaffirmed the UAE’s full support for Syria’s efforts to restore stability and rebuild its war-torn economy. He stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral ties, especially in key sectors such as infrastructure, investment, and technology.