Transparency data

FCDO Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) summary 2022 to 2023

Published 30 March 2023

© Crown copyright 2023

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-fcdo-international-programme-spend-objectives-2022-to-2023/fcdo-gulf-strategy-fund-gsf

Overview

The FCDO Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) operates as part of the FCDO’s International Programme. It is an entirely non-ODA workstream. In 2022 to 2023, six country programmes were funded in the Gulf region:

Bahrain

Supports Bahrain-led and owned reform and capacity building programme to deliver long-term security, stability and foster science, technology and prosperity links with Bahrain.

Projects cover:

  • supporting the implementation of the restorative justice law for children
  • supporting the implementation and development of alternative sentencing best practices
  • Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Terrorist Financing training for non-financial regulators
  • assessing the vulnerabilities of migrant domestic workers
  • capacity building for civil society organisations
  • research skills and training for journalists
  • space science cooperation
  • healthcare market study
  • environmental and biodiversity resilience

Kuwait

Supports UK objectives around Kuwait’s Vision 2035 by fostering collaborations around human capital development, sustainable living environment, economic diversification and public administration reforms.

Projects cover:

  • technical partnerships and youth engagement to promote climate, health and environmental resilience
  • collaborations between UK and Kuwaiti universities and scientific research centres on clean energy generation, medical research, and green architecture,
  • support to develop a public sector ‘code of conduct’, enhancement of strategic communications capability and Youth Assembly engagement,
  • institutional capacity building for public-private partnership (PPP)
  • raising awareness of cyber security threats through training and network building
  • improving the quantity and quality of cyber-threat intelligence data in the region
  • drawing on UK expertise to develop the creative sector within the Kuwait economy
  • supporting girls’ sports-based education and employment pathways

Oman

Supports UK objectives around Oman’s Vision 2040 with particular focus on economic reform, women’s economic empowerment and green initiatives. The programme also focuses on strengthening people to people links with Omani UK graduates.

Projects cover:

  • economic technical assistance and support to the Strategic Advisory Group
  • strategic communications support for economic policies
  • economic empowerment programmes for women
  • effective taxation implementation support
  • supporting green initiatives including COP27 and renewable energy wastewater treatment
  • UK Oman Alumni Network

Qatar

Supports delivery of a safe and secure 2022 World Cup. The programme also developed bilateral collaboration in areas such as precision healthcare, food security, and environmental resilience.

Projects cover:

  • provision of UK expertise to support Qatar’s policing capability around the World Cup 22
  • youth sports programmes
  • health and environment resilience, including anti-microbial resistance (AMR), biodiversity and climate
  • transnational strategic precision healthcare research to accelerate the detection and prevention of common and rare disease
  • food security – development of scalable high value agriculture food production, and aquatic disease management
  • support to VAT implementation in Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Supports UK objectives around Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ agenda for modernisation, economic diversification and climate action. Enhances mutual prosperity by promoting inward investment and creating opportunities for UK companies across a diverse range of sectors.

Projects cover:

  • strengthening growth and reform in the education sector by matching UK expertise against Saudi ambition and reducing barriers to qualification recognition
  • enhancing national climate, biodiversity and health resilience
  • supporting transformation of the healthcare system and promoting cooperation on life sciences
  • deepening UK-Saudi technology partnerships, including on agri-tech and aerospace
  • strengthening UK-Saudi engagement on culture, tourism and sport
  • supporting the development of a high value and modern financial services sector
  • building Saudi Arabia’s tax administration and statistical capability
  • increasing Saudi’s technical capabilities to become a more effective aid donor
  • public diplomacy and consular resilience

United Arab Emirates

Supports work to deliver mutual prosperity and to help address risks from climate change.

Projects cover:

  • support to help the UAE reform its VAT and corporate tax policy
  • work to identify mutually beneficial trade partnership opportunities
  • working together to tackle climate change and support the net zero transition, in areas such as ocean resilience and the blue economy, sustainable agritech and food loss and waste

Other

In addition, the GSF funded a small team in London to manage the UK government’s planning for the 2022 World Cup, including the coordination of security and consular preparations.

Gulf Strategy Fund programme allocation for the financial year 2022 to 2023

Initiation of country programming was delayed until summer 2022 owing to the situation in Ukraine. The Gulf Strategy Fund was allocated a budget of £10 million.

Back to top