Saudi Crown Prince’s Gulf Tour: A New Start for Cooperation

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters
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Saudi Crown Prince’s Gulf Tour: A New Start for Cooperation

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, is gearing up to host the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) summit next Tuesday. The summit’s final communique will likely fall in line with the positions that were launched in the Gulf tour of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Saudi Crown Prince's tour, which kickstarted in Muscat and ended in Kuwait, has worked to consolidate Gulf views regarding regional and international matters. It also reaffirmed Saudi keenness to preserve unity within the GCC and expand strategic partnerships.

The final statements on the five stops of the tour confirmed the common points agreed upon by the leaders of the six countries to enhance the security and stability of the Gulf region, develop their economies, and achieve Gulf visions.

For years, Saudi Arabia has been keen to establish and strengthen bilateral, regional councils in the Gulf region. This chiefly aimed to develop bilateral relations and raise the level of cooperation in all fields, according to regular and sustainable institutional work in the political, economic, security, military, investment, developmental and cultural fields.

The five concluding statements on the Crown Prince’s tour emphasized the importance of the joint coordination councils with Saudi Arabia.

Muscat had praised the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council for expanding the scope of bilateral relations and achieving integration in all fields to serve the interests of the two countries. It is noteworthy that the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council was established during Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s visit to Saudi Arabia in July 2021.

The sixth meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council was co-chaired by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have signed several key agreements following talks held between King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Saudi Crown Prince.

The agreements were based on the outcomes of the second Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council meeting.



Saudi Govt Welcomes Trump’s Visit, Hopes to Bolster Strategic Partnership with US

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Welcomes Trump’s Visit, Hopes to Bolster Strategic Partnership with US

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government welcomed on Monday US President Donald Trump's visit to the Kingdom on Tuesday.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The cabinet said it was optimistic Trump's visit will strengthen and expand cooperation and the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the US across various sectors in line with their mutual interests and visions.

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the cabinet on the outcomes of recent talks with leaders of several brotherly and friendly nations that focused on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.

The cabinet reviewed regional and international developments and reiterated its firm condemnation of the Israeli authorities' announcement of their incursion into and control of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories.

It also condemned Israel's ongoing violations of international humanitarian law, reiterating the Kingdom's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people.

The cabinet welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between Pakistan and India, stressing the Kingdom's continued commitment to working with international partners to achieve lasting peace between the two countries.

Moreover, the cabinet discussed progress in cooperation with international organizations and forums, emphasizing that the Kingdom's hosting of the Munich Security Conference Leaders' Meeting later in 2025 reflects its commitment to supporting multilateral approaches that promote international peace and security and address global challenges.

The cabinet highlighted Saudi Arabia's election as the Arab Group's representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, saying it is a testament to its leading role and ongoing efforts in advancing the aviation sector at the local, regional, and international levels according to the highest standards of safety and efficiency.