Humanitarian dimensions of conflict resolution remain under-researched globally. As the humanitarian systems structural changes, it is particularly important to consider how Global South stakeholders, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council’s member states engage with major humanitarian initiatives and how those initiatives contribute to mediation and conflict resolution efforts in the wider region. This workshop will look at the intersection of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding efforts from the perspectives of thematic and area-based experts on GCC and wider Western Asia and North Africa region. From Gaza to Yemen, from Somalia to Sudan, the workshop will facilitate a space of evidence-generation on GCC perspectives on the humanitarian track in its wider regional foreign policies and explore how national and institutional agencies intersect now and in the future. Drawing on evidence from engagements such as reconstruction conferences, multilateral and bilateral funding initiatives, workshop participants will explore how humanitarian service delivery objectives contribute to local capacities for peace and wider conflict resolution efforts. Participants will be asked to engage with issues of soft power and articulate ways that GCC could engage with global policy shifts such as the “humanitarian reset,” the Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexus, and other initiatives (including self-defined, indigenous research into Gulf perspectives on charity, aid and peace). Participants would be encouraged to engage with GCC’s vision for humanity, including addressing transnational challenges, and the importance of dialogue, pluralism and humanitarian engagement. Participants will be invited to reflect on the GCC’s vision for humanity by drawing evidence from community-led humanitarian and peacebuilding initiatives , as well as national foreign policy plans, and build a research trajectory to help inform a GCC approach to mediation, conflict resolution and humanitarian response grounded in human security principles.By situating the Gulf within broader debates on soft power and digital diplomacy, the workshop will advance theoretical and empirical understanding of how digital ecosystems—from influencers to algorithms—mediate global perceptions of the region. It will bring together scholars from communication, marketing, international relations, and Gulf studies to analyze case studies of successful campaigns, as well as the risks posed by misinformation, reputational crises, and dependence on global platforms. The workshop welcomes comparative, cross-national, and multidisciplinary contributions that illuminate the Gulf’s role in shaping narratives across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Ultimately, it seeks to provide both academic insights and policy-relevant recommendations on how digital communication can enhance the Gulf’s soft power and global standing.