Embassies
Türkiye has the broadest diplomatic footprint across the 14 countries...
while Israel has by far the narrowest regional network.
The EU has Delegations in 10 countries, with a new Delegation planned in Oman.
High-level visits
Beyond the presence of diplomatic missions, frequent high-level visits also reflect the nature of relations between countries. Between 2019 and July 2026, the US (110), Türkiye (101), Iran (81) and the EU (72) accounted for most high-level visits to the Middle East and the Gulf.
US visits focused on Israel and Saudi Arabia;
Türkiye’s on Qatar and Saudi Arabia;
Iran’s on Qatar and Iraq;
and the EU’s on Jordan and the UAE. Visits among GCC countries intensified in 2024–2025, while Iran increased its visits to the region in 2025.
Partnership hierarchy
Stronger bilateral relations are also reflected in how external actors describe their partnerships with regional actors.
The Middle East and the Gulf are priority partners for China, Türkiye and the US. China has comprehensive strategic partnerships with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and an innovative comprehensive partnership with Israel. Most countries in the region are major non-NATO allies of the US, while Israel is also a strategic partner.
Türkiye has high-level partnerships with Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the UAE, with its Supreme Strategic Committee with Qatar representing the highest level.
India has a comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE and strategic partnerships with Israel, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Russia has a strategic partnership with the UAE and strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
The EU has Strategic and Comprehensive Partnerships with Egypt and Jordan and a strategic partnership with the GCC. It is also negotiating individual strategic partnerships with GCC countries: negotiations with Qatar and the UAE were launched in December 2025, followed by Bahrain in July 2026.
The EU and the US have held summits with the GCC since 2024 and 2015, respectively.
China launched its summit with the League of Arab States in 2022, with the next scheduled for 2026. Russia sought to organise a summit with the Arab states, but it was postponed indefinitely.
UN voting patterns
The intensity and depth of diplomatic relations are also often reflected in voting patterns at the UN General Assembly.
Between 2022 and 2026, Israel was the only country in the region that mostly voted against Russia’s position. Until 2024, Syria consistently voted with Russia; following the fall of the Assad regime, it either abstained or was absent.
Countries in the Middle East and the Gulf consistently voted against Israel’s position on all relevant UNGA resolutions from 2023 to 2025, as they had on resolutions concerning the territories occupied by Israel, including the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, between 2016 and 2026.
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Iran aligned with Russia in 72% of votes, China in 63% and India in 25%. The US voted with Russia only once, in February 2025, while EU Member States mostly voted against Russia’s position. India abstained in 75% of votes and South Korea in 38%.
Over the latter period, the US aligned with Israel in 93% of votes, while EU Member States mostly abstained.
On Gaza-related UNGA resolutions since 2023, the US aligned with Israel in 92% of votes, while EU Member States only partially aligned with Israel and frequently abstained. Hungary aligned with Israel in 50% of votes and Czechia in 25%. Between 2016 and 2026, on resolutions concerning the territories occupied by Israel, the US aligned with Israel in 93% of votes, while EU Member States mostly abstained.