EU and GCC summit in Riyadh scheduled for October 24 — The National

Leaders of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan to hold the second EU-GCC summit on October 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sides want to deepen cooperation in security, energy, trade and economic cooperation.

Summit agenda

European Council President António Costa, in an invitation letter to EU leaders and Gulf states, proposed discussing key regional issues. He named peace and security, connectivity, trade, economic cooperation, energy and mobility among the priorities.

As The National reports, the presence of 27 EU leaders in Riyadh could become an important signal of support for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states amid regional instability. The previous EU-GCC summit took place in Brussels in 2024; it was the first since the initial cooperation agreement between the sides was concluded in 1989.

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Trade and maritime mission

The EU is the second-largest trading partner of the GCC states: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. According to the European Commission, trade between the EU and GCC has increased by approximately 30% over the past decade: imports into the EU by approximately 54%, and exports by 20%. Fuel accounts for more than 75% of EU imports from GCC countries.

Strengthening the EU's Aspides defensive maritime mission is also being discussed in the context of the summit. Its mandate covers the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz, as well as international waters of the Red Sea; the mission currently operates in the Red Sea. Italy and France have each deployed one frigate as part of the mission, while Greece exercises strategic command.