Mecca Joint Defence Agreement: Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact in Mecca, with an “attack on one is an attack on all” clause aimed at deterring aggression amid Iran-linked missile and drone pressure on Gulf states. Air Defence Strain: A Reuters explainer says Patriot missile supplies are running low worldwide as demand spikes from Ukraine and the wider Middle East conflict, forcing some countries to choose which threats to intercept. Gulf War Costs: Analysis highlights how the Iran–US conflict has hit Gulf infrastructure and growth, with World Bank cuts and repeated strikes on airports and energy-linked targets. Critical Infrastructure Targeting: Another report says the conflict has expanded from military sites to steel, petrochemical, transport, power and digital systems—turning everyday infrastructure into strategic leverage. Bahrain Tech & Education: Arabian Gulf University and UNESCO’s quality centre discussed expanding cooperation in education quality, academic excellence and scientific research. Bahrain Fintech: stc Bahrain launched free Summer Workshops to build future-ready digital and creative skills. Bahrain Startup Funding: Soor, a licensed Bahrain insurtech, secured a pre-seed investment from Spring to simplify insurance comparison and purchase in one app. Local Tech Policy: Bahrain introduced faster evening construction permit processing and moved boat/jet ski technical inspections online. Space/Maritime Tech Angle: South Korea is pushing large-scale ship recycling closer to home, building on a Bahrain pilot at ASRY.