Political Dialogue, Cooperation and Public Diplomacy Actions in the GCC

The EU Outreach Facility for the GCC is a flagship initiative with the objective to enhance the partnership of the European Union with the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. It aims to increase the low level of awareness and understanding of the EU in the Gulf region to enhance political and economic relations.

Key objectives are:

1. Political dialogue and cooperation, aiming to align EU engagement with the national vision agendas of GCC countries,

1. • Analysing GCC countries’ national vision strategies to identify areas for EU partnerships.
   • Organising policy exchanges, study tours and technical assistance on topics aligned with national development plans.
   • Providing tools to facilitate the implementation of EU–GCC Cooperation Arrangements.

1. Public diplomacy and outreach, focused on increasing the visibility of the EU, promoting mutual understanding and building trust between citizens,

1. • Designing and executing outreach campaigns.
   • Organising cultural exchanges, lectures, hackathons, youth circles, and joint EU–GCC events.
   • Promoting people-to-people connections and shared values.

In summary, this initiative strengthens the EU’s presence, reputation and influence in the Gulf region by combining policy-level engagement with inclusive and people-focused outreach.