The Gulf Cooperation Council and Portugal have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen relations and set out areas of shared interest, the GCC General Secretariat announced.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel signed the document on Wednesday.
The signing took place on the sidelines of Albudaiwi’s participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Speaking at the signing, Albudaiwi said the GCC states consistently seek to strengthen ties with countries and organizations around the world.
The memorandum, he said, reflects that aim. According to the General Secretariat, it is intended to strengthen relations between the two sides and to lay out a roadmap for exploring areas that can serve the shared interests of the peoples of the GCC states and Portugal.
معالي الأمين العام لمجلس التعاون @jasemalbudaiwi، ووزير الدولة والشؤون الخارجية في جمهورية البرتغال يوقعان على مذكرة تفاهم بين دول مجلس التعاون وجمهورية البرتغال.@govpt https://t.co/7xptD9kVDj#مجلس_التعاون_UNGA81#جمهورية_البرتغال #الأمم_المتحدة pic.twitter.com/ZgNO3fRxWm
— مجلس التعاون (@GCCSG) September 24, 2026
The announcement did not specify which sectors the memorandum will cover. It described the document as a framework for identifying such areas rather than a set of detailed commitments.
Following the signing, the two officials held a meeting to discuss the outlook for GCC-Portugal relations and ways to consolidate them through the newly signed memorandum, in pursuit of the desired objectives.
Regional developments were also on the agenda. Albudaiwi and Rangel exchanged views on recent developments in the region, with particular attention to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.
The two waterways are strategic maritime chokepoints, and the officials discussed how developments there affect security and stability in the region and beyond.
The memorandum adds to the GCC’s network of partnerships with countries outside the Gulf. The bloc, which groups six Arab Gulf states, has regularly used high-level diplomatic gatherings such as the UN General Assembly to meet counterparts and advance cooperation arrangements.
The General Secretariat’s statement gave no timetable for follow-up steps under the memorandum, nor any details of planned meetings or working groups. Further information is expected as the two sides begin work on the areas the document is meant to identify.
