Gulf States in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Gulf states in January 2026, the dominant development was the first three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States, held in Abu Dhabi on 23 and 24 January. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called them constructive, Russia renewed its demands regarding the Donbas region, and the Kremlin said Russia was represented only by military officials. Participants described the talks as constructive and positive, and a next round was announced. Ukraine reported Russian strikes on its territory while the talks were under way. On 29 January the Kremlin said expert-level negotiations in Abu Dhabi could extend beyond a single day, and Vladimir Putin thanked the UAE president for the country's role. The UAE president was to visit Russia.
The second theme was Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza. The UAE, Bahrain and Belarus accepted invitations on 20 January, and by 21 January reports listed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Israel among those accepting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had opposed including Qatar and Turkey before being set to join, and Norway and the UK reportedly voiced reservations. Egypt, Qatar and Turkey endorsed a Palestinian technocratic committee to govern Gaza.
Third, Gulf states worked to head off a US strike on Iran. Qatar warned that escalation would be catastrophic and took precautionary steps at the Al Udeid air base. Saudi Arabia, on 27 January, and the UAE, on 26 January, said they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used against Iran. Turkey, Oman and Qatar were reported to be mediating between Washington and Tehran, and the UAE's leader held talks with Iran's president on 30 January.
In Yemen, politicians met in Riyadh in a Saudi-led dialogue after a UAE-backed separatist group was dissolved, and Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council accused the UAE of running secret prisons, which Abu Dhabi denies. Somalia cut diplomatic ties with the UAE. The UAE and India signed a $3 billion liquefied natural gas deal.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.