Gulf States in February 2026: the most important developments in politics
In February 2026 the Gulf States' political news was dominated by peace talks on Ukraine hosted in Abu Dhabi. Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations met on 3 and 4 February, with US envoy Witkoff taking part, and the sessions were held behind closed doors. The Kremlin called the talks constructive, complex work. Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war. On 13 February the US State Department said the two sides had reached an agreement, without giving details, and on 14 February President Volodymyr Zelensky apologised for remarks he had made about the talks. By 26 and 27 February Zelensky said the next round would likely take place in Abu Dhabi and pushed for a trilateral summit with the US and Russia there.
The second theme was Oman's mediation between the United States and Iran. Indirect nuclear talks began in Muscat on 6 February, and both sides called them a good start. A second round followed in Geneva on 17 February. On 26 February Oman's foreign minister announced significant progress and technical talks in Vienna the following week, and on 27 February he said a deal was within reach, including agreement on zero stockpiling of enriched uranium. A report said President Donald Trump was unhappy with the prospect of a deal. On 28 February Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf states condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks on neighbouring countries, and Kuwait summoned Iran's ambassador.
On Gaza and the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and seven other countries repeatedly condemned Israeli measures in the West Bank, and the UAE announced a $1.2 billion donation to Gaza through a new 'Board of Peace'. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged the US to designate Qatar an enemy state.
Gulf states also backed Kuwait after Iraq filed an expanded maritime map with the UN. The UAE replaced the chairman of DP World after the release of his emails with Jeffrey Epstein, and Saudi Arabia announced the arrest of 127 officials on bribery charges.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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