The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a crucial interlocutor for the EU in the Gulf region and beyond, including in multilateral fora (G20). Relations are gaining strength with a good pace of visits and enhanced institutional engagement. The EU’s Joint Communication on a Strategic Partnership with the Gulf (2022) opens additional avenues for strengthened cooperation. The EU Delegation in Riyadh is covering KSA and GCC, but also Oman and Bahrain.

Qatar is an important partner for the EU, playing a relevant and constructive role in the international community’s efforts to find a peaceful resolutions to numerous conflicts. Qatar is also an important partner for Europe to diversify gas supply in line with REPowerEU. In 2023 the EU opened a Delegation in Doha.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are an important partner for the EU in the region in several fields, notably trade and investment, economic diversification, energy, environment, climate change and security. The EU and the UAE have a joint interest in ensuring stability in the Middle Eastern region and beyond, and strengthen connectivity, including in the context of UAE normalisation of relations with Israel. Since 2016, the EU operates an EU Delegation in Abu Dhabi.

Kuwait has traditionally been a close partner of the EU on several files as it held the first Syria Conference and supported UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) financially. The EU facilitated Kuwaiti accession to the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) during its GCTF co-chairmanship.

Bahrain and the EU share a mutual interest for regional stability, security, and enhanced political and sectoral cooperation, with focus on sustainable development, green transition, education, people to people contacts. Bahrain is an important interlocutor for the EU in the context of its normalisation of relations with Israel. The EU continues to engage constructively with Bahrain on human rights, notably promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Over the years, the EU has forged constructive diplomatic ties with the Sultanate of Oman, key partner which plays an important role in the efforts to reduce tensions, de-escalate conflicts in the region. EU has a good cooperation with Oman regarding hydrogen production, as well as in maritime security.

A peaceful, prosperous and democratic Iraq is essential for its people, for Europe and for the wider region. Iraq is advancing on its path from conflict to stabilisation with significant achievements ranging from the territorial defeat of Da’esh, holding free and fair elections in October 2021, and actively contributing to regional dialogue and cooperation through initiatives like the Baghdad Process, where the EU actively participates.

The EU supports the Iraqi government’s reform agenda, notably the fight against corruption, as well as Iraq’s desire to shift the focus from security to economy. The EU and its Member States maintain close relations with Iraq as defined under the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The EU has accelerated its engagement with Iraq at all levels, leading to the 3^rd EU-Iraq Cooperation Council in March 2023, co-chaired by High Representative Borrell and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. Its deliverables included a Joint Declaration on global issues of mutual interest (e.g. green transition) and the establishment of a new Subcommittee on Development Cooperation. Migration constitutes an area of continuous engagement, notably when it comes to returns and readmissions of Iraqi nationals staying in Member States irregularly, but also their reintegration in Iraq. The EU is one of the key donors supporting the 1.1 million Internally Displaced People in the country.

EU's development assistance in Iraq since 2003 exceeds EUR 1.5 billion. Recently the EU adopted its multiannual support program for Iraq (EUR 114 million from 2021-2024). Iraq also benefits from a number of regional and thematic EU programs. Moreover, since 2017 the civil EU CSDP mission (EUAM Iraq) is assisting the Iraqi authorities in the reform of the security sector. Both the EU Delegation and EUAM Iraq are present in Baghdad and Erbil.

Yemen is undergoing a civil war since 2015 with catastrophic humanitarian consequences, as over 70% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and over 50% is facing acute food insecurity. The Council Conclusions on Yemen of 12 December 2022 reaffirm the EU’s principled commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen and its full support to the UN peace efforts and United Nations Special Envoy Hans Grundberg in his mediation efforts. The EU supports the Government of Yemen and the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Rashad Al Alimi and insists on the need to reinforce unity within the PLC.

The EU stands as one of Yemen’s most important and trustworthy partners, keeping lines of communication with all parties, supporting the intra-Yemeni dialogue and peace and mediation efforts. As one of the largest donors, the EU has mobilised over €1.28 billion in development, crisis response and humanitarian assistance since 2015.

The EU follows closely domestic developments in Yemen, where the human rights situation remains critical. It emphasizes the need for continued independent and impartial human rights monitoring and documentation of serious violations and the full integration of accountability and transitional justice in the peace process, recalling the crucial role of women. The EU calls on all parties to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and adopt commitments to hold perpetrators accountable. The EU supports the UN’s Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict in Yemen, and strongly condemns all violations and abuses that continue to be committed against children in Yemen. The EU also supports preventive actions to avoid an environment disaster in the Red sea and has pledged over €27.3 million to operations to salvage the 1 million oil barrels from the SAFER tanker, successfully concluded (phase 1) on 11 August 2023. The EU has also activated on 06 March 2024 the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in response to the environmental threat posed by the sinking of the Rubymar vessel and deployed three EU environmental experts in this context.

The EU mediation and dialogue engagements to support the peace process in Yemen are multi-faceted. Yemen is a peace mediation priority for the EU that builds on substantial political and humanitarian efforts since 2015. EU's actions are designed to support the UN-led peace process in Yemen.

The continued Houthi attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea, in violation of international law, are undermining navigational rights and threatening maritime security, the lives of seamen, disrupting international commerce and affecting regional peace and security. In response, the Council adopted on 8 February 2024 the decision to establish a new EU maritime defensive operation (Aspides), which contributes to uphold the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and beyond. The operation has the threefold mandate to protect ships under attack, to accompany vessels and to reinforce maritime situational awareness, in cooperation with partners. The EU is concerned about the violation of the UN-established arms embargo (UNSCR 2216(2015)) that applies to the Houthis and the resulting proliferation of sophisticated missile and drone technology they use for their attacks in the Red Sea. The EU supports financially the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM) established to ensure compliance with the targeted embargo. The EU implements UN Yemen sanctions through its Council Decision 2014/932. This includes the Houthis (Ansarallah), as well as 12 Houthi commanders and influential figures, as well as an arms embargo.