Brussels and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decided this Thursday to postpone the second summit due to take place on 24 October in Riyadh. The gathering has been suspended in light of soaring tensions across the Arabian Peninsula and the latest missile and drone launches by Houthi rebels from Yemen.
The step was taken by mutual agreement due to on-the-ground risks. The primary catalyst was this weekend's strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, a critical facility that remains out of operation after sustaining damage that left more than a dozen dead and hundreds injured, prompting Saudi authorities to vow a robust response.
A setback for the Saudi international agenda
The temporary cancellation of the summit represents a major logistical and diplomatic hurdle for Saudi Arabia's plans to position itself as the epicentre of major multilateral gatherings during a period marked by instability stemming from the Yemeni conflict.
The partial disruption of the capital's air connections made it impossible to guarantee the necessary security standards for the arrival and travel of official delegations, heads of state, and foreign ministers from the Twenty-Seven EU Member States and the Gulf monarchies.
Despite the suspension, both the European Council in Brussels and the GCC General Secretariat stressed that the strategic partnership between the two regions remains intact. EU institutions reiterated their unwavering commitment to "deepening bilateral cooperation" and sustaining the political momentum consolidated since the first historic summit held in October 2024.
For the time being, neither side has put forward an alternative date for rescheduling the event, limiting themselves to stating in official releases that a new timeline will be announced "in due course" depending on developments on the ground.