Gulf leaders pledged at the annual GCC summit to play a constructive role in strengthening security and stability in the region against external threats and regional conflicts.
The meeting is held yearly between leaders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, for discussion on security, economy and political integration and co-operation.
Leaders put "collective security, regional conflicts and development" at the top of the agenda.
They agreed upon the importance of the GCC’s common economic, defence and security integration to enhance stability among member states.
“The leaders stressed the vital need for common foreign policies of member states to build a shared foreign policy that serves the aspirations and ambitions of their people and preserve their interests and gains,” stated the Riyadh Declaration issued at the end of the summit late on Tuesday in Riyadh.
The summit comes as world leaders convene to revive Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna.
The officials also discussed continuing wars in Yemen and Syria and Lebanon's economic and political problems.
Who was there?
Oman's Deputy Prime Minister, Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmoud Al Said, was the first to arrive with his country's delegation and he held talks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, led the UAE's delegation and was welcomed to the summit by the crown prince.
Shortly before he arrived in Riyadh, Sheikh Mohammed said: “We need a strong start for the fifth decade of the Gulf Co-operation Council. We are looking forward to economic integration. We are looking for real and deep co-operation.”
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, also attended the summit, the first time Gulf leaders had assembled since signing the historic AlUla agreement in January to end a rift with Qatar that lasted three and a half years.
Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal Al Ahmed Al Sabah headed his country's delegation. Bahrain's delegation was led by King Hamad.
The summit was also attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
The GCC secretary general Dr Nayef Al Hajraf presided over the meeting.
Dangers posed by Iran
Speaking at the summit, Prince Mohammed bin Salman made clear the kingdom's concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.
He called for an "effective and serious" approach to the nuclear deal.
"It is important to have an effective and serious approach to Iran's nuclear and ballistic programme," the crown prince said.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said after the summit that the evolution of the Vienna negotiations "is worrying and does not create optimism".
He said a Saudi Arabian presence at the talks “would allow us to be close to solutions since we are one of the countries most threatened”.
“Iran maintains an intransigent position … and that is certainly worrying,” he said.
Joint efforts
Closing remarks read by Dr Al Hajraf stressed the importance of joint efforts by Gulf states to avoid regional and international conflict.
"Member states of the GCC consider that any attack on any of them is an attack on them all and any danger that threatens one of them is threatening them all," he said.
King Hamad hailed the Saudi Arabian crown prince's recent tour of the Gulf, which sought to enhance co-ordination between GCC states and strengthen the work of the regional body.
“We laud the results of the Gulf visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which has positively paved the way for this summit,” he said.
He commended the crown prince's aim to “bring different points of views closer and overcome challenges” during his trip, which included Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait.
The non-GCC member in attendance was Egypt, represented by Mr Shoukry.
He stressed the need to bring Egypt and the GCC states closer together.
“Facing and overcoming challenges and preserving Arab security will only be achieved through solidarity, co-operation and closer ties between us, both politically and economically," he said during a press conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal and Dr Al Hajraf.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
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Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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EPL's youngest
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- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
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- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
