The United Kingdom (UK) formally left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020.  This paper considers how relations between the EU, UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are likely to be affected by this important geopolitical development.  It suggests that, while many aspects of this triangular relationship are unlikely to change substantially, […]

The 2019 Annual Review provides an overview of the work the Bussola Institute carried out during 2019.  As the Chair of Bussola’s Board of Directors, HE Amal al-Haddabi observes: “2019 has proved to be an excellent first full year of operation for the Bussola Institute.  I am confident that this augurs well for the future […]

In this research paper, the Bussola Institute provides an overview of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Europe and the Gulf region and analyses some of the key implications, both regionally and globally, of this global pandemic. In both regions, various mitigation and containment policies have been put in place.  However, at the time of […]

The relationship between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Asian states, including China, India, Japan and South Korea, has long been complementary. While the focus of the GCC-Asia relationship has concentrated predominantly on the energy dimension, this represents only one part of what is becoming a more complex set of exchanges. Increasingly, a more […]

Tackling the multiple challenges of climate change is a matter of the highest priority for both the Gulf states and the European Union.  Incoming EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that a “Green Deal for Europe” will be her top priority, while all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) […]

This Bussola workshop explored the dynamics of the international debate around sales of armaments and military equipment, with particular reference to the Gulf states.  While US and European manufacturers remain the principal sources of military supply for Gulf customers, the Workshop examined the extent to which these long-standing relationships are likely to endure, and whether […]

April 2018 – March 2019 The Bussola Review 2018-2019 covers the first year of the Bussola Institute’s work from its headquarters in Brussels and internationally. As the President of Bussola’s Honorary Advisory Board, HE President José María Aznar, declares in his opening message: ‘I am delighted that the Bussola Institute has been established as a […]

On 16th May, the Bussola Institute held a Workshop on Iraq and its current geopolitical situation, entitled “Rebuilding Challenges in Iraq: Outline for a GCC-EU Agenda”. This seminar was organized around the main challenges and opportunities facing Iraq under its new government, and assessed the main risks to its stability in the medium and long term.

Relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Iraq have been strained for the past 30 years, ever since Saddam Hussein ordered his forces to invade Kuwait in 1990. However, the election of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi in 2018 and the eventual establishment of a new Iraqi government in October, has led to a distinct shift […]