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.



Trump Arrives in Qatar after Historic Riyadh Visit

US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Arrives in Qatar after Historic Riyadh Visit

US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump arrived in Doha on Wednesday on the second leg of his Gulf tour that he started in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

He was welcomed upon his arrival by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Meeting later at the Royal Palace in Doha, Trump and Sheikh Tamim signed economic and defense agreements.

The first had Qatar buying airplanes from Boeing, the American aerospace company whose chief executive attended the event. Trump said it was the largest order of jets in the company history, worth over $200 billion.

Next up was a defense deal and the purchase of military drones.

The final cooperation agreement was signed by Trump and Al Thani themselves.

Before departing to Doha, Trump sat down for a historic meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh.

Trump said the rapprochement with Syria came at the urging of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” said Trump, who announced he'll move to lift sanctions on Syria to give the country “a chance at peace.”