RIYADH, Saudi Arabia | October 15, 2026 | In a statement issued on October 15, the GCC Secretariat said the decision was made to protect the safety of participating delegations. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said both sides would agree on a new date later. The European Council separately confirmed the postponement but did not specify the reason, saying the date would be announced in due course.
The summit was expected to bring together leaders from the EU’s 27 member states and the six GCC countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Discussions were intended to strengthen cooperation between the two regions on trade, energy, security and other shared priorities.
The postponement comes as Saudi Arabia faces heightened security concerns following reported attempts by Yemen’s Houthi movement to target the kingdom. The continued disruption to airport operations has also complicated arrangements for international delegations traveling to Riyadh.
The EU and GCC held their first summit in October 2024, marking a step toward closer cooperation. Their relationship is also guided by a cooperation agreement signed in 1989, which established regular dialogue on economic relations, energy, the environment, climate change and research.
Despite the delay, the European Council reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to deepening its strategic partnership with the Gulf states. Both sides are expected to work toward rescheduling the meeting when conditions allow.RIYADH, Saudi Arabia | The European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have postponed their summit scheduled for October 24 in Riyadh, citing security concerns linked to continued Houthi attacks and the extended suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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