GCC-US Security Talks in Manama: Bahrain hosted GCC foreign ministers and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with a focus on regional security, maritime routes and boosting cooperation in investment, trade, energy and advanced technologies. AI for Public Prosecutions: Bahrain’s Public Prosecution chaired a GCC committee meeting in Riyadh to review a proposed model law for AI use in prosecution work, plus unified judicial instructions and a GCC framework for joint investigation teams. Drug and Crime Coordination: The League of Arab States and UNODC held a Cairo review meeting on the Regional Framework for Arab States (2023–2028), targeting drugs, transnational crime, terrorism, corruption and financial crimes. Legal AI Expansion: LexisNexis announced a multi-million-dollar push to expand and localise legal AI across the Middle East and GCC, aiming to support lawyers with region-specific workflows. Islamic Finance Skills Push: AAOIFI flagged a shortage of professionals with both technical finance and Sharia expertise, urging mandatory certifications and harmonised governance standards. Bahrain Private Debt Momentum: A new report places Bahrain among the top three GCC markets for private debt, with $22m in 2025 deployments as fintech drives most activity. Water Safety Testing in East Riffa: Bahrain’s Ministry of Health began lab testing water samples from Buhair Valley after public concerns tied to increased visitor activity. Bahrain Space Link: Bahrain Space Agency says it is linking universities with Axiom Space for geospatial partnerships. Engineering in Bahrain: Bilfinger inaugurated a new consulting & engineering office in Riffa and marked 30 years of engineering excellence in the Kingdom.