The Gulf Research Center (GRC), in partnership with the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue https://kreisky-forum.org/en/ and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Middle East Program @CarnegieMEP , co-organized a closed workshop titled “Collective Diplomacy in the Middle East Amid Wars: Middle Powers, Mediation, and Regional Security Futures”, which took place at the Bruno Kreisky Forum in Vienna, Austria, from May 12-13, 2026. This workshop forms part of a broader project initiative.
The workshop brought together policymakers and experts from the Middle East and Europe to examine whether the post-2023 regional environment represents a meaningful shift away from longstanding patterns of Arab diplomatic fragmentation. Discussions also explored the lessons that can be drawn for future collective approaches to regional security, mediation, and conflict resolution amid the Middle East’s increasingly complex and conflict-affected landscape.
Notably, participants who took part in the workshop included:
- HE Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, Designated Nominee for Secretary General of the Arab League
- HE Luigi Di Maio, European Union Special Representative for the Gulf Region, European External Action Service (EEAS)
- Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Negotiations, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
- Dr. Manal Radwan, Minister Plenipotentiary, Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The workshop also brought together senior diplomats from across the Gulf and the wider Middle East, alongside senior representatives from the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, as well as heads and representative of European think tanks.
