Gulf-EU Relations in the Age of Strategic Isolation
Panel Discussion at the Doha Forum
As part of the Doha Forum, the Regional Programme Gulf States (RPG) of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), in partnership with the Centre for International Policy Research (CIPR), the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) and the Gulf Research Centre (GRC), will bring together leading voices from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Italy to examine the evolving landscape of Gulf–EU relations. In an era marked by geopolitical shocks, technological shifts and intensifying great-power competition, the discussion explores how both regions are navigating a world of overlapping crises through bloc functionality, conflict-management efforts and joint regional initiatives. Panelists will unpack the current strategic context and offer forward-looking policy recommendations to enhance cooperation in key areas such as security, economic relations and inter-societal exchange.
State of Play
Strategic Competition and Regional Agency in the Gulf
As the global order shifts and rivalries intensify, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have become a key arena where great-power dynamics intersect with a growing desire for regional agency and multi-alignment. Held in Doha, Qatar, this roundtable convenes experts and policy-makers from the US, Europe, and Qatar to examine how Washington and Brussels, alongside Beijing, Moscow, and others, are recalibrating positions on Gulf security and engagement. It will also assess the instruments and strategies employed by Qatar and other Gulf States to project power beyond their borders and protect their own sovereignty, along with their ambitions to shape regional dynamics and the constraints revealed by recent shocks.
The Future of Migration to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: Retaining Foreign Talents and Skills
How do GCC Countries Fare in the Global Competition for Talent?
In cooperation with the Gulf Research Centre (GRC), the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Regional Programme Gulf States will host a workshop focusing on highly skilled workers’ onward migration from the Gulf to the EU and North America on 2 December 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will feature authors presenting their key findings and policy recommendations, setting the stage for discussions that bring together leading academics, experts and stakeholders from the GCC, the wider Middle East, Europe and North America to examine emerging patterns of onward migration among highly skilled workers.
Shared Interests, Shared Actions in Maritime Security
Securing the waterways around the Arabian Peninsula
In cooperation with the Gulf Research Center (GRC), the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Regional Programme Gulf States will host a closed-door workshop on protecting freedom of navigation in waterways around the Arabian Peninsula from 5-6 November 2025. Maritime security in these waters faces its greatest challenges in decades, and the events of the past two years have demonstrated that neither European countries, the Gulf states, nor other littoral powers can take freedom of navigation for granted. Simultaneously, responses in the EU and GCC to recent threats to maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf have diverged, with each bloc following distinct approaches to address these challenges. This workshop provides opportunities for experts, political decision-makers, and military leaders from Saudi Arabia, European countries, and East African states to exchange perspectives on how to safeguard freedom of maritime navigation in a global political environment characterised by turbulence, upheaval, and challenges to international law and global norms.
Stepwise and Return Migration between the Gulf, Europe, and North America
A Workshop in the Context of the Gulf Research Meeting 2025
In cooperation with the Gulf Research Center (GRC), KAS will convene experts to discuss policy recommendations focusing on stepwise and return migration. Based on a range of policy papers, authors will explore the role of Gulf states in shaping skilled migrants’ long-term migration aspirations, and how these migrants view the GCC as a stepping stone to life in Europe and North America. Additionally, the discussions will examine the push and pull factors driving such migration patterns while also exploring the scale of return migration from European countries, the US and Canada back to the Gulf.
The Social Impacts of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030
Continuity and Change
On 8 July 2025, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)'s Regional Programme Gulf States will host a Saudi Arabian delegation from the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) at the KAS Academy for a closed-door, roundtable discussion titled ‘The Social Impacts of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030: Continuity and Change’. Featuring inputs from Dr Mark Thompson, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Socioeconomics Programme at KFCRIS, and four young citizens of Saudi Arabia hailing from different parts of the Kingdom, the workshop will discuss the scale and impact of the changes occurring in the country under Vision 2030, thus highlighting the socioeconomic complexity, diversity, and ambition of a transforming Kingdom. Please note that this is an invitation-only event. If you are interested in attending, please contact the KAS Regional Programme Gulf States at gulf@kas.de.
3rd GCC-German Young Leaders Forum
An Exclusive Side Event of the 7th German-Arab Gulf Dialogue on Security and Cooperation
In cooperation with the German-Arab Friendship Association (DAFG) and The Diwan, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)'s Regional Programme Gulf States will host the 3rd GCC-German Young Leaders Forum, an exclusive side event of the 7th German-Arab Gulf Dialogue on Security and Cooperation, on 24 June 2025 at the KAS Academy in Berlin. The Young Leaders Forum is an annual meeting that convenes up-and-coming leaders from the fields of policy-making, academia, analysis, and practice to discuss topics of importance to relations between Germany and the member-states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Cognizant of the significant milestones in EU-GCC relations that will occur in the coming years this year’s Forum will discuss ideas for what relations between the two blocs could look like in the future. Please note that this is an invitation-only event. If you are interested in attending, please contact the KAS Regional Programme Gulf States at gulf@kas.de.
7th German-Arab Gulf Dialogue on Security and Cooperation
GCC-Germany-EU: New Strategic Partnership in a New World Order
Together with the German-Arab Friendship Association (DAFG), the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) will host the seventh annual German-Arab Gulf Dialogue on Security and Cooperation at the KAS Academy in Berlin from 23-24 June 2025. Taking place halfway between the 2024 EU-GCC Summit in Brussels and its 2026 sequel in Riyadh, this year’s German-Arab Gulf Dialogue will explore areas in which deeper cooperation between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) can be achieved, focusing especially on GCC-German relations under the new, CDU-led government in Berlin. Please note that this is an invitation-only event. If you are interested in attending, please contact the KAS Regional Programme Gulf States at gulf@kas.de.
Qatar: An Emerging Player in International Diplomacy and Conflict Mediation
Dialogue Programme for Professor Dr Norbert Lammert and Dr Gerhard Wahlers
From 5 to 7 May, KAS’s Regional Programme Gulf States will host a dialogue programme in Doha, Qatar, for Professor Dr Norbert Lammert and Dr Gerhard Wahlers. The delegation will meet senior Qatari officials to discuss regional developments, conflict mediation, and opportunities for enhanced German-Qatari cooperation in energy, security, and diplomacy, complemented by cultural and academic exchanges.
Transformative Diplomatic Strategies for Contemporary Geopolitical Challenges
Panel Discussion at the Doha Forum
Today’s geopolitical challenges require new thinking and diplomatic approaches such as flexible and inclusive strategies, leveraging advanced technologies, and applying creative solutions. Unlike traditional diplomacy, which often relies on formal protocols, bilateral negotiations, and the promotion of specific ideologies, innovative approaches to diplomacy transcend traditional Western and non-Western divides. It embraces diverse actors, digital platforms, and collaborative initiatives to foster dialogue, build consensus, and achieve shared goals. Through virtual summits, digital platforms, and citizen engagement, it promotes transparency, inclusivity, and participatory global governance. This empowers non-state actors, facilitates rapid communication and information sharing, and enables a more agile response to crises, including humanitarian emergencies, peacebuilding efforts, climate change, global health threats, and economic development. This panel in partnership with the Center for International Policy Research (CIPR) and The Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) will illuminate different innovative diplomatic practices, examining the foreign policies of Qatar, Germany, Italy, and UAE.
