• The Cooperation Council: the final statement of the one hundred and sixty-eighth session of the Gulf Ministerial Council, held in Manama under the chairmanship of Bahrain's Foreign Minister, was issued, and the Council condemned in the strongest terms the continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the targeting of the Two Holy Mosques, civilian airports and vital facilities, and condemned the Iranian attacks with missiles and drones on the Council's states and Jordan, holding Iran fully responsible, and stressing that the security of the Council's states is an indivisible whole, and that the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea are vital corridors whose conditions must return to what they were before 28 February 2026, with a call to return to dialogue and diplomacy — a unified position that shapes the security and work environment for millions of residents in the Gulf, foremost among them the large Sudanese community in the six Council states. (Source: Saudi Press Agency — SPA, in its coverage of the final statement of the ministerial council) • Kuwait: French President Emmanuel Macron began his Gulf tour today, Monday, from Kuwait, where the Amir of the country, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, awarded him the "Mubarak the Great Necklace", while Macron awarded the Amir the French "Legion of Honour" at the rank of Grand Cross, and the two sides held official talks and signed agreements and declarations of intent covering defence, civil aviation, data and artificial intelligence, academic and scientific cooperation, encouraging direct investment, cooperation with "Airbus" and the health field, with the tour also set to include the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar — new economic and investment partnerships in Kuwait that concern Sudanese residents and workers there and the job opportunities linked to them. (Source: Kuwait News Agency — KUNA, quoting CNN Arabic coverage of the agency's statements) • Qatar: the Global Security Forum opened in Doha today under the slogan "The Future of Alliances", and continues until 21 October, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called during the opening session for a regional dialogue to achieve a sustainable peace with Iran in which Pakistan and Turkey would also participate in consultation with international allies, based on trust, a non-aggression agreement and addressing mutual concerns, noting that economic relations can be a bridge to prevent future conflicts — and easing regional tension from Doha is directly reflected in the security and stability of Sudanese working in Qatar and the region. (Source: Al Jazeera, in its coverage of the launch of the Global Security Forum in Doha) • Sudan in today's Gulf position: Pakistani newspapers published today highlighted the strong condemnation by Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and their affirmation of full solidarity with the Kingdom and support for its sovereignty and security, and pointed at the same time to Pakistan's affirmation of the need to preserve and strengthen Sudanese state institutions, and its stress that there is no military solution to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, and that international sanctions must be a means to support peace, not a substitute for diplomatic efforts — a new international affirmation, carried via an official Gulf agency, of the centrality of Sudanese state institutions in any settlement. (Source: Saudi Press Agency — SPA, in its monitoring of the interests of Pakistani newspapers) • The UAE: the fourth edition of the Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leaders Summit 2026 opened in Abu Dhabi today under the slogan "Resilience for a Sustainable Future", sponsored by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and continues for two days at the ADNEC Centre with the participation of policymakers, business leaders, investors and experts from the region and the world, discussing the themes of leadership, governance, artificial intelligence, digital innovation and environmental and social impact — economic events of this scale in Abu Dhabi expand the business networks and employment opportunities from which Sudanese residents in the UAE benefit. (Source: Emirates News Agency — WAM) • Bahrain: the Central Bank of Bahrain announced today, Monday, the coverage of an issue of weekly government treasury bills worth 70 million Bahraini dinars, as part of government debt instrument issues aimed at supporting liquidity management and providing investment instruments for financial institutions and investors in the local market — the stability of liquidity and the banking sector in Manama concerns Sudanese working in Bahrain and the safety of their savings and remittances to their families. (Source: Central Bank of Bahrain, via the banker.news website) • Oman: the Commander of the Royal Army of Oman, Major General Matar bin Salem Al Balushi, received today at his office at Al Murtafa'a Camp in Muscat the Commander of the Unified Military Command of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, Major General Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Balawi, and his accompanying delegation, and the two sides exchanged views and discussed a number of military topics of common interest, and he was also received by the President of the Academy of Strategic and Defence Studies, Major General Hamid bin Ahmed Sakroun, at Beit Al Falaj Camp for the same purpose — unified Gulf military coordination that strengthens the security of the region in which Sudanese live and work in the Sultanate of Oman and the rest of the Council states. (Source: Oman News Agency — ONA) • Oil and the Strait of Hormuz: Brent crude futures fell today, Monday, by 2.08% to $107.57 a barrel by 06:19 GMT, after closing on Friday at their highest level since 19 May, as investors moved to take profits following US President Donald Trump's exemption of Russia from some sanctions and tariffs, which could increase Russian fuel exports, while an oil tanker caught fire and exploded after colliding with a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to what Iranian media reported from the Revolutionary Guard's navy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran's offer to Washington to reopen the strait within seven days is still on the table — and oil volatility and Hormuz movement determine shipping and energy costs and the prices of goods reaching Sudan and the Gulf states hosting Sudanese labour. (Source: Reuters) • Gulf markets and gold: cautious calm prevailed in the main Gulf stock markets in early trading today, Monday, as the Saudi index fell 0.3%, affected by a 1.7% drop in the Saudi Arabian Mining Company share and Aramco 0.3%, the Dubai index was stable with little change, the Abu Dhabi index fell 0.2%, and the Qatar index lost 0.5% to trade at its lowest level in more than six years, while gold rose in spot transactions 0.3% to $4,175.60 an ounce, supported by the decline in oil — market movements followed by many Sudanese families in the Gulf for their impact on workers' incomes, their savings and the value of their remittances. (Sources: Reuters; Saudi Press Agency — SPA, for gold prices)
— Editorial Team