On Wednesday afternoon, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) set off for a trip to the Gulf region to strengthen and deepen ties in the area. He began the visit with talks in Saudi Arabia that night, followed by scheduled meetings in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday and Friday. Merz plans to return to Germany by Friday evening.
Merz arrived in Saudi Arabia shortly after Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU), who was there with a large business delegation. Together with Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the two ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation between the German and Saudi ministries in the energy sector.
While economic issues are expected to be a priority for the chancellor’s itinerary, the federal government also stresses that he will address human‑rights concerns during his trip.