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The invitation was handed over by Saudi Ambassador to the UAE Sultan bin Abdullah Al-Luwaihan Al-Anqari to Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi. During their meeting the two officials reviewed prospects for stronger ties between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union while voicing hopes for a productive summit. Emirates News Agency reported that the message came directly from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and forms part of outreach to multiple GCC leaders ahead of the gathering. Similar invitations have already gone to the leaders of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar in recent weeks.
The second GCC-EU Summit is set to take place in Saudi Arabia on October 24 as the two blocs seek to expand cooperation on regional security and economic issues. It builds directly on the inaugural summit held in Brussels on October 16, 2024, where participants agreed to meet every two years. That first meeting produced a joint commitment to elevate their strategic partnership in areas ranging from trade to crisis prevention, according to the European Council record of the event.[[1]](https://consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2024/10/16)
Eurostat data places total EU-GCC trade in goods at €165.7 billion for 2025, with EU exports reaching €110.3 billion and imports standing at €55.4 billion. The UAE and Saudi Arabia together represent more than three-quarters of this exchange, the figures show. Fuels account for the majority of EU imports from the region while machinery, transport equipment and chemicals lead EU sales to GCC markets. Trade in services added another €84.4 billion in 2024 and has more than doubled over the past decade.[[2]](https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/eu-gcc-trade/)
Arab News reported that King Salman has sent parallel messages to other GCC heads of state in late September and early October, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s role in coordinating the upcoming summit. Those exchanges similarly emphasized the value of long-standing GCC-EU partnership in pursuing shared interests in stability and prosperity. The pattern of invitations reflects the rotating GCC presidency and collective preparation for the high-level talks.
The 2024 Brussels summit produced pledges to advance discussions toward a regional free trade agreement that includes investment provisions as well as collaboration on clean energy and critical minerals. Leaders at that gathering also addressed conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, calling for immediate ceasefires and humanitarian access in a joint statement. The forthcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia will offer an opportunity to review progress on those commitments amid continuing regional tensions.
A review by the Atlantic Council noted that the EU ranks as the GCC’s second-largest trading partner while the GCC is the EU’s sixth-largest overall. The two sides relaunched their strategic dialogue in 2022 after a period of slower engagement, the assessment found. Officials from both blocs have since focused on resilient supply chains, energy security and sustainable investment as priorities for the second summit.
