On May 3, 2026, the Gulf Research Center (GRC) organized a roundtable meeting at its office in Riyadh focused on Gulf-Southern African Development Community (SADC) relations. The meeting brought together the Ambassadors of South Africa @rsaembassyinksa , the current Chairperson of the SADC group, as well as the Ambassadors and representatives of the United Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of Zambia, the Republic of Angola, and the United Republic of Tanzania alongside representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The meeting aimed to discuss and present the GRC’s Gulf-Africa Research Program, which examines the growing political, economic, and security ties between GCC countries and African states. Discussions explored how Gulf investment and diplomacy align with SADC’s development priorities across key sectors, including energy, mining, food security and agriculture, logistics and digital infrastructure, as well as maritime security across the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and the Sahel.
The GRC program further highlighted the importance of strengthening trade relations and improving the implementation of investment commitments between GCC states and countries within the Southern African Development Community, where significant untapped potential for deeper cooperation remains.
