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The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Joint Defence Council held an emergency session in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, to discuss urgent regional security measures in response to the recent Israeli strike on a Hamas office in Qatar’s capital, which killed six people.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi said the attack on the State of Qatar can be considered an attack on all GCC countries.

AlBudaiwi said member states would activate joint defence mechanisms, enhance intelligence sharing, coordinate aerial positions, activate an early-warning system against ballistic missiles and carry out joint training exercises, including a regional air force drill.

Qatar is the seventh country Israel has bombed since the start of this year.

Which countries make up the GCC, and what do they spend on their militaries?

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic bloc which was formed in 1981. It brings together six Arab states on the Arabian Peninsula:

• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The GCC was established to promote cooperation on security, economics and politics, and it often coordinates positions on regional and international issues.

In 2023, GCC countries collectively spent $114.5bn on their militaries. Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share, budgeting for at least $69bn and ranking as the world’s seventh-largest military spender, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at $20.7bn, Qatar at $9.02bn, Kuwait at $7.77bn, Oman at $6.5bn and Bahrain at $1.4bn, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Military Balance 2024.

Where are the US military bases in the Middle East?

The US has operated military bases in the Middle East for decades.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US operates a broad network of military sites, both permanent and temporary, across at least 19 locations in the region.

Of these, eight are permanent bases in five of the six GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – as well as in Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.

The strategic partnership between Qatar and the US

Al Udeid Air Base was established in Qatar in 1996 and is the largest US military base in the Middle East. Covering an area of 24 hectares (60 acres), the base accommodates almost 100 aircraft as well as drones. This base, which houses some 10,000 troops, serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command (CENTCOM) and has been central to operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Following Israel’s attacks on Doha, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Qatar, arriving the day after he attended meetings in Israel.

During his visit, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, emphasised the country’s strategic relationship with the United States, particularly on defence matters. He added: “We are determined to defend our sovereignty and take measures to prevent any recurrence of such an attack.”

Saudi-Pakistan defence pact

On Wednesday evening, Saudi Arabia signed a “strategic mutual defence agreement” (SMDA) with nuclear-armed Pakistan.

The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an act of aggression against both.

The pact came just days after nearly 60 member states of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) gathered in Doha in a show of regional solidarity with Qatar in the wake of the recent attack.

Which air defence systems do Gulf states rely on?

The six Gulf states have built layered air defence networks combining US, European, Russian and Chinese systems.

Their arsenals range from long-range interceptors to point-defence missiles and anti-aircraft guns.

Long-range systems cover threats beyond 100 km (62 miles), medium-range protect targets 30–100 km (19–62 miles) away and short-range systems defend assets within 1–30 km (0.6–19 miles).

Saudi Arabia possesses the Gulf’s largest air defence network, anchored by US-made THAAD systems and long-range Patriot PAC-3 batteries.

Its layered arsenal also includes medium-range US-made I-Hawk missiles, short-range French Crotale, Shahine and MICA systems, as well as a large number of American and French point-defence launchers such as Stinger, Avenger, Mistral and MPCV. Complementing these are extensive anti-aircraft guns from several countries, including the US-made Vulcan, Swiss/German Oerlikon, and Swedish Bofors L/70 models.

Saudi Arabia is the only GCC country to deploy the Chinese-made Silent Hunter laser system, which tracks and neutralises low-flying drones and other small aerial threats by emitting a high-energy beam that can disable or destroy them.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) operates US-made THAAD and long-range Patriot systems, alongside a version of the Israeli-made Barak air defence system.

For medium-range threats, the UAE relies on the South Korean-made Cheongung II.

Its short-range defences include French Crotale and Mistral, Russian Igla and Pantsir-S1, Swedish RBS-70 and British Rapier systems, all supported by a variety of European anti-aircraft guns.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the only two GCC countries which operate the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) system, giving them advanced missile interception capabilities against ballistic threats.

Qatar has invested in US-made Patriot systems and NASAMS III for long- and medium-range air defence, while its short-range defences feature a mix of Russian Igla, US Stinger, Chinese FN-6 and French Mistral systems, supported by German Gepard and Skynex anti-aircraft guns.

Kuwait fields US-made Patriot PAC-3 batteries for long-range defence, Italian Aspide launchers paired with Skyguard systems for short-range defence and Stinger, Starburst and FIM-92 missiles for point defence, complemented by German Oerlikon GDF anti-aircraft guns.

Bahrain has recently acquired the Patriot PAC-3 MSE system, joining Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait as the GCC countries with advanced long-range, surface-to-air missile capabilities.

For medium- to short-range threats, it relies on US I-Hawk and French Crotale systems, supported by Russian Igla, US Stinger and Swedish RBS-70 point-defence missiles, as well as Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.

Oman lacks advanced long- and medium-range missile systems compared with other GCC countries. Its short-range systems include the Norwegian-US-made NASAMS, complemented by French Mistral, US Javelin and Russian Strela-2 point-defence missiles, backed by Russian, Swiss and Swedish gun systems.

UK thanks Qatar for leading negotiations for the release of the pair after their arrest in February.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has released a British couple held for almost eight months on undisclosed charges.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbara, 76, were released from prison on Friday after a court hearing and handed over to the United Kingdom‘s special representative to the country, Richard Lindsay. The move followed negotiations led by Qatar.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on social media that the couple had been arrested in February for “violating” Afghan law, but did not say which legislation had been broken.

UK officials were quick to express relief and to thank the mediating country.

“I welcome the release of Peter and Barbara Reynolds from detention in Afghanistan, and I know this long-awaited news will come as a huge relief to them and their family,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “I want to pay tribute to the vital role played by Qatar.”

In a statement on Friday afternoon, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said the couple had arrived in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and would depart for London later. It also expressed its appreciation for the “fruitful cooperation” between the Afghan and UK officials.

‘Looking forward to return’

United Nations human rights experts had called on the Taliban in July to free the pair, having warned of the “rapid deterioration” of their physical and mental health, and stating that they “risk irreparable harm or even death”.

Images of the couple standing together on Friday with the UK’s special representative to the country, Richard Lindsay, at Kabul airport before their departure to Doha were broadcast on British broadcaster Sky News.

“We’ve been treated very well. We’re looking forward to seeing our children,” said Barbara, adding: “We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can.”

The couple were married in Kabul in 1970 and have spent almost two decades living in Afghanistan’s central province of Bamiyan, running educational programmes. They also became Afghan citizens.

When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021 they remained in the country against the advice of British officials.

The Reynolds’ family in the UK had made repeated calls for the couple’s release, saying they were being mistreated and held on undisclosed charges.

Hamish Falconer, the UK’s minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in a statement that he was “relieved… their ordeal has come to an end,” noting that the government in London had “worked intensively since their detention and has supported the family throughout”.

The release comes after Washington’s special envoy on hostages, Adam Boehler, made a rare visit on Saturday to Kabul to discuss the possibility of a prisoner exchange.

At least one United States citizen, Mahmood Habibi, is held in Afghanistan.

Dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of the US military.