Gulf security ‘indivisible,’ GCC tells after Iranian attacks
The security of Gulf states is “indivisible,” Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi said Wednesday, calling for a return to dialogue and diplomacy after Iran launched retaliatory attacks against U.S. military targets across the region.
Speaking at a GCC ministerial meeting in Manama, Bahrain, Budaiwi accused Iran of violating international and humanitarian law through its attacks on Gulf countries, according to Kuwait’s Al Anba newspaper.
“Iran is violating international and humanitarian law with its attacks on the Gulf states,” Budaiwi said.
He stressed that the security of the six GCC member states could not be separated and warned that the latest escalation threatened both regional stability and the wider global economy.
“We must return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict,” he said.
Economy: rerouting the Gulf
One simple maritime channel is being transformed into a spaghetti junction. Expanded and new pipelines, roads, railways, and ports are sprouting across the Gulf in a desperate quest to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The result will be a more resilient, more complex, but also more expensive transport system for some of the world’s key commodities. This shift will also have major implications for regional power and trade, creating clear winners and losers
The near-total blockade of the Strait since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February cut off, most obviously, the export of oil. At pre-war levels, this was roughly 14.9 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and about 4.8 million bpd of refined oil products, including liquefied petroleum gas, together accounting for roughly 20 percent of global supply. Approximately 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG), mostly from Qatar with some from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), also moved through the Strait, just as major export expansions were underway.
GCC: Aribbean cooperation on energy transitions and the blue economy
The Association of Caribbean States and the Gulf Cooperation Council recently reaffirmed interests in advancing regional cooperation across shared climate change, environmental sustainability, blue economy, and energy transition challenges. This closed-door dialogue, held under the Chatham House Rule, will convene Ambassadors and senior diplomatic representatives of Caribbean and GCC countries, the Observer Research Foundation Middle East (ORF ME), The Global Climate Finance Center (GCFC), the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) Academy, and experts from the private and public sectors. The objective of this dialogue is to facilitate knowledge exchange and south-south collaboration between the Caribbean states and the UAE to advance joint interests in energy transition efforts and blue economy development.
The GCC-UK trade deal opens new era of economic partnership?
The UK-Gulf Cooperation Council free trade deal is set to be worth far more than the anticipated $5 billion boost to Britain’s economy, Arab News has been told, as the two economies become increasingly interlinked.
The deal, signed on May 20, is the first such agreement between a G7 nation and the GCC, and is seen as a structural bet on Gulf economic transformation and a precedent-setter for how the bloc will engage with major economies for decades to come.
Combined with the India FTA signed by the UK in July, the deals are expected to add more than £8 billion ($10.7 billion) annually to British GDP relative to 2040 forecasts, marking a significant shift in the country’s post-EU trade architecture.
Beirut-based economist and academic Jassem Ajaka told Arab News that the asymmetry of need works in the deal’s favor, saying: “For the UK, the pact opens a vital gateway to GCC markets — a strategic priority following its departure from the EU.
Worldwide investors see Oman as growth hub
International investors are increasingly viewing Oman as a strategic platform for growth in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, tourism and innovation, reflecting growing confidence in the Sultanate of Oman’s long-term economic vision and investment environment.
This was the key message emerging from a panel discussion held during the Future Fund Oman (FFO) investment showcase, where executives from global companies outlined the factors that led them to choose Oman for major investments and expansion projects.
The discussion brought together Rashid al Hashmi, Senior Manager of Investments at the Future Fund Oman, Stefano Sardo, Managing Director of global tourism investment firm Certares, Mark Jiang Pengjing, Deputy General Manager of Orion Solar, Dr Bir Kapoor, CEO and Deputy Managing Director of Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL), and Jalal al Hadhrami, General Manager of Terminal 11.
GDP grows 6.2pc: UAE
The UAE’s economy expanded by 6.2 percent year on year in 2025 to reach 1.9 trillion dirhams ($517 billion), driven by strong gains in the country’s non-oil sector.
According to official data from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, the UAE’s non-oil economy grew by 6.8 percent, reaching 1.5 trillion dirhams, state news agency WAM reported.
The UAE has intensified efforts to diversify its economy in recent years, seeking to reduce reliance on oil revenues by expanding sectors including finance, technology, manufacturing, tourism, and logistics. The country aims to strengthen the role of non-oil industries, attract foreign investment, and position itself as a global hub for business and innovation.
UAE’s Economy Minister Abdulla bin Touq said: “The national economy continues its remarkable performance thanks to the wise leadership’s support and the exceptional efforts of the public and private sectors, reflecting steady progress toward achieving the goals of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.”
Construction led the gross domestic product surge with an 11.1 percent expansion, followed closely by the finance and insurance sector at 10.4 percent.