Politico: What does Mohammed bin Salman’s participation in the Brussels Summit mean

For the first time, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will attend the first Summit of the EU-Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.

He will attend a landmark meeting between leaders of the European Union and Arab Gulf countries in Brussels, according to a Politico article.

The EU confirmed Mohammed bin Salman‘s attendance late last night, on the eve of the first EU-Persian Gulf Cooperation Council summit. It is a stunning turnaround considering bin Salman was once a leader “persona non grata” in Western countries after the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Today, Mohammed will be flanked by top EU officials, including European Council President Charles Michel, who was the initiator of this initiative, setting the stage for the crown prince’s presence with his own visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this summer.

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend the summit, which is intended to mark “a major boost in EU relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), as tensions between them have been rising in recent years,” a Council official said on condition of anonymity.

Tensions are escalating amid fears of a generalized war in the Middle East as the 27 EU leaders prepare to tackle the issue of migration. The EU is doing its best, however, to work with Gulf countries as part of a series of pro-Ukraine commitments, according to a draft obtained by Politico.

The list of summit participants has always been kept a closely guarded secret, with EU officials earlier expressing concern about the safety of those present, even as doubts about the who’s who of participants threatened to undermine the credibility of the summit.

The other Persian Gulf Cooperation Council power, the United Arab Emirates, will be represented only by deputy prime minister and finance chief, Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, while Oman will also send its deputy prime minister.

However, other Gulf countries, such as Kuwait and Bahrain, will be represented by their heads of government, according to the list of participants.

In addition, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Hamad Al-Thani, was confirmed long ago to be a co-host, as Doha holds the rotating presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to be absent from the Gulf Cooperation Council summit. Citing a meeting booked several months ago in Berlin, the German chancellor will be represented by Macron.

Notably, a few hours ago, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Cairo and shook hands to deepen trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. They also did not fail to appeal to the international community on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, the two leaders signed an agreement to encourage mutual investment between the countries.

Mohammed bin Salman’s visit comes amid rumours of a possible Saudi investment opening in Egypt, which has received a large influx of external funding this year, including a record 35 billion deal from the United Arab Emirates.

Sisi and Salman, according to Egyptian media, reviewed efforts to develop an economic partnership between Cairo and Riyadh, particularly in the areas of investment, trade and economic integration in the energy, transport and tourism sectors.

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