Director-General Maciej Popowski concludes mission to the Gulf, strengthening humanitarian partnerships - European Commission
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European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
  • News article
  • 3 March 2025
  • Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
  • 1 min read

Director-General Maciej Popowski concludes mission to the Gulf, strengthening humanitarian partnerships

© European Union

The Director-General, Maciej Popowski, has concluded a strategic weeklong trip to 4 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, reinforcing the European Union’s commitment to humanitarian cooperation and disaster management in the region.

Building on the outcomes of the First EU-GCC meeting of heads of state and government in October 2024, the visit to Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates provided an opportunity to advance joint efforts on humanitarian aid, disaster preparedness, and response coordination – and underscored the importance of EU-Gulf cooperation as key humanitarian actors. This is particularly important in light of the turbulent times in global humanitarian dynamics and the need for coordinated responses to crises around the world: from Ukraine to the Democratic Republic of Congo, from Syria to Myanmar.

The Director-General also participated in the 4th Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum and spoke on humanitarian diplomacy at the opening panel on (co-sponsored by EU, OCHA and ICRC). The Forum, which is the main humanitarian event in the region, brought together important regional and international humanitarian players.