Feb 4, 2026, 3:33 p.mFeb 4, 2026, 3:33 p.m
Friedrich Merz set off for the Arabian Peninsula on Wednesday afternoon.Image: keystone
On his first trip to the Arabian Peninsula as German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz wants to strengthen strategic partnerships with three particularly influential Gulf states.
He left for Saudi Arabia in the afternoon and then wants to visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Cooperation with oil and gas-rich countries should be strengthened, especially in the energy sector. But it will also be about arms deals that are not entirely uncontroversial – and about the Iran conflict, which has escalated dramatically.
Why go to the Arabian Peninsula?
After his inaugural trips to allies in Europe and North America, Merz, who has been in power since last May, is now concerned with strengthening relations with important countries outside the EU and NATO. That’s why he was at summits in Africa and Latin America at the end of last year and in India right at the beginning of this year.
This also has to do with the fact that Germany has to reorient itself in a new world order in which great power politics plays an increasing role. Dependencies on superpowers such as China (exports and raw materials) and the USA (defense, liquid gas, trade) should be reduced.
The three rich Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have a lot to offer: liquid gas in particular and, in the future, hydrogen can help Germany position itself more broadly in the energy sector. But the countries are also interesting as investors in Germany – they can create new jobs.
How great the interest in the region is is shown by the fact that Environment Minister Carsten Schneider and Economics Minister Katherina Reiche visited Saudi Arabia shortly before Merz.
Are arms deals also planned?
There will be no deals, but discussions about them are pretty high on the agenda. Weapons exports to the three autocratic countries were handled very cautiously by previous governments for a long time due to the human rights situation and involvement in regional conflicts such as the Yemen war. Saudi Arabia was even subject to a ban on arms exports for years. Now they should strengthen the strategic partnerships.
The course was already relaxed by the previous German government, which cleared the way for the export of more Eurofighters to Saudi Arabia at the beginning of 2024. There has also been interest there for a long time in the A400M transport aircraft from Airbus. This also applies to the Emirates. Qatar is already a good customer of the German arms industry and recently received a delivery of Boxer infantry fighting vehicles.
According to the Stockholm peace research institute Sipri, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were among the countries that imported the most military equipment in the world between 2020 and 2024. The only countries ahead of them were Ukraine and India.
Why are the countries so strategically interesting?
Since the Arab uprisings of 2011, the centers of power in the Arab world – traditionally Cairo and Damascus – have moved to the Gulf – to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. In the two largest ongoing conflicts – Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip – they are important voices or are directly involved in negotiations and mediation.
The next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the USA, is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, immediately before Merz’s arrival. Merz is accompanied by his foreign policy advisor Günter Sautter, perhaps the most important negotiator on the European side in the Ukraine conflict. However, Europe is currently not involved in the negotiations in the UAE.
Qatar plays a central role in the Gaza conflict and, with its good contacts with the Islamist Taliban, is helping Germany to return criminals to Afghanistan.
Will it also be about the Iran conflict?
For sure. There are great fears of a new war. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened the government in Tehran with military strikes, including because of the brutal crackdown by state forces against demonstrators in the recent mass protests. The US military has significantly expanded its presence in the region. Now, according to reports, there are supposed to be negotiations with Iran.
In the event of another US attack in Iran, the leadership in Tehran, which is under great pressure, could launch a counterattack in which the Gulf states could also be drawn in as a location for US troops.
Do human rights still matter?
Yes, but not as big as before. Eight years ago, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was cut off by Western leaders for the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Today the case seems to have little impact on relations. Merz was to be received with military honors by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia late in the evening and to have a meal with him.
However, organizations such as Amnesty International continue to describe the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia as subterranean. Despite some relaxations in social life and some strengthening of women’s rights, there are credible reports of extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary arrests. (sda/dpa)