The UAE and Kuwait became dialogue partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were granted the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which would enhance China's progress in the Arab Gulf region.
The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, highlighted the common goals of his country with the organization and said: "In the coming period, the UAE will seek to take great steps in its participation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its member states. As a people and a state, We are delighted to be welcomed as a dialogue partner in an organization whose global influence and relevance continue to grow."
On Friday, the UAE and Kuwait were reported to have signed memorandums granting them the status of dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the sidelines of the organization's foreign ministers' meeting in Panaji, India, on May 4-5. The two Gulf states accounted for half of the new partners at the meeting. The other two countries were the Maldives and Myanmar.
Kuwait's ambassador to New Delhi, Jassem Al-Najim, said, "This step is in line with Kuwait's foreign policy goals because trade and economic cooperation, global supply chain, food, and energy security are among the areas that Kuwait attaches great importance to."
It should be noted that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 to counter US hegemony in the region and later expanded to include India and Pakistan. The SCO is a political and security union that spans Eurasia and includes China, India, and Russia and is seen as a geopolitical counterweight to the United States and Western powers.
Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain were welcomed to the organization as dialogue partners in September 2022 during the organization's annual summit held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Iran joined as a full member after being approved the previous year.
In late March, the Saudi Cabinet approved the kingdom's decision to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. SCO Dialogue Partner status allows countries to participate in specialized events within the SCO.