GCC Secretary-General: Gulf-European Summit in Riyadh Postponed to a Later Date

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Al-Budaiwi, announced on Thursday the rescheduling of the GCC-Europe Summit, which was originally slated to take place in Riyadh this October, to a later date to be mutually agreed upon by both sides.

In a statement, the Council’s General Secretariat quoted Al-Budaiwi as saying: “Given the continued attempts by the terrorist Houthi militia to target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its civilian infrastructure, thereby threatening the security and safety of innocent civilians, and given the extension of the suspension of operational activities at King Khalid International Airport, and in the interest of the safety of participating delegations, the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council announces the rescheduling of the GCC-Europe Summit, originally scheduled for Riyadh on October 24, 2026, to a later date to be mutually agreed upon by the GCC side and the European side.”

Al-Budaiwi affirmed the GCC’s and the European Union’s determination to work toward creating suitable conditions for holding the summit, in line with their long-term objectives of enhancing and consolidating cooperation across various aspects between the member states of both organizations, and to achieve growth and prosperity for their countries and peoples.

For his part, the European Union stated in a separate announcement that it would declare a new date for the summit in due course, without providing further details.

It emphasized that the partnership between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council holds significant strategic importance for both regions, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to further deepening this partnership and maintaining the momentum achieved since the first summit held in October 2024.