Bahrain Names GCC Chief Country's New Foreign Minister

GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani. (AFP)
GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani. (AFP)
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Bahrain Names GCC Chief Country's New Foreign Minister

GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani. (AFP)
GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani. (AFP)

Bahrain has appointed the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council as the country’s next foreign minister, state media reported Thursday.

The Bahrain News Agency reported that Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa named Abdullatif al-Zayani as the foreign minister.

Local media reported al-Zayani will assume the post when his term as secretary general of the GCC ends on March 31.

He will be replacing Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, who’s been Bahrain’s foreign minister since 2005.

Sheikh Khalid, who confirmed the news on Twitter and congratulated al-Zayani, will serve as diplomatic adviser to the king.



Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
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Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)

Syria's flag carrier Syrian Air will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting on Sunday, the airline said in a Facebook post.

All flights between Syria and the UAE had been suspended in January after opposition factions toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The announcement comes days after the UAE's civil aviation authority announced the resumption of air flights between the Gulf country and Syria. No UAE-based airlines have announced plans to fly to Syria so far.

The resumption of flights between the two countries followed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s first visit to the UAE as leader, where he met UAE's President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.