Alliance launches to support EU-Gulf investment links

A forum is being established to deepen economic and geopolitical ties between Europe and the Middle East.

Stephen Jaffe/IMF via Reuters | Atlantic Council president and CEO Frederick Kempe with Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank. Kempe described the new alliance as a 'vital bridge'

• Washington think tank among backers

• Greece’s Antenna also behind launch

• Focus on strategic opportunities

Backed by US think tank the Atlantic Council and Greek media company Antenna Group, the Alliance for Europe-Gulf Geopolitics & Investments Summit (AEGGIS) will launch next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“We are committed to building a platform that not only deepens the significant geopolitical bond between Europe and the Gulf, but also generates investment opportunities that drive innovation, economic growth and shared progress,” Theodore Kyriakou, Antenna chairman and AEGGIS co-chair, said in a statement.

Antenna is wholly owned by K Group, the Kyriakou family holding company with interests in technology, telecommunications, shipping and other sectors across multiple countries.

In his statement on Monday, Kyriakou talked about wanting to leverage “deep, long-standing relationships across the Gulf region”.

Antenna Group subsidiary Antenna Digital Ventures helps fast-growing digital consumer brands from the US, UK and Western Europe enter markets in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, according to the group’s website.

K Group separately partnered with the Qatar Investment Authority last year to establish a $1 billion fund targeting opportunities in Greece and elsewhere.

The AEGGIS forum will begin by convening EU and Gulf political and business leaders for an event in New York in preparation for a flagship gathering in Greece next year. This will focus on “strategic investment opportunities and regulatory coordination between the regions”, according to the press release.

The exercise will support the work of the EU-GCC summit process, a formal, high-level platform for officials from the European Union, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to engage on issues from foreign policy to trade and investment.

The second EU-GCC summit is slated to take place in Riyadh next year.

“This effort will serve as a vital bridge between Europe and the Gulf, fostering strategic investment and dialogue that can drive growth, innovation, and stability across both regions,” Atlantic Council president and CEO Frederick Kempe said, describing the AEGGIS private-sector-led push.

The European Union and the UAE launched negotiations earlier this year for a bilateral free-trade agreement. In July, EU leaders cleared the European Commission – the bloc’s executive branch – to open talks with each GCC state for the purpose of reaching agreements on bilateral strategic partnerships.

By Valentina Pasquali

September 16, 2025, 3:07 PM