Skip next section Why is Merz visiting the Gulf region?02/04/2026February 4, 2026
Why is Merz visiting the Gulf region?
This week, Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit Saudi Arabia, then Qatar, and finally the Emirates — all within less than 72 hours. His aim is to deepen economic ties and secure reliable agreements at a time when Europe, and Germany in particular, can no longer be certain how much it can depend on the United States.
The magic word for German relations in the Gulf is, time and again: energy.
For decades, the Gulf states supplied oil to resource‑poor Germany, and since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, gas has become ever more crucial.
The EU has sharply reduced its reliance on Russian gas; today, liquefied natural gas (LNG) accounts for about 10% of Germany’s overall supply, with 30% of that in 2024 coming from the US. A share which, in the view of the German government, could well be reduced — if, for instance, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were to deliver more.
Read DW’s full analysis here.
https://p.dw.com/p/582t1
Skip next section Germans waiting on average 42 days to see specialist doctors
02/04/2026February 4, 2026
Germans waiting on average 42 days to see specialist doctors
The average, publicly-insured German patient in 2024 waited, on average, 42 days to see a specialist doctor, the Rheinische Post newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing official figures obtained in response to a parliamentary query submitted by the opposition Left Party.
Five years earlier, in 2019, the average waiting time between seeing a general practitioner and referral to a specialist was 33 days.
At the same time, expenditure by Germany’s statutory health insurers (Krankenkassen) has increased, with extra funding for doctors’ consultation periods increasing from around €291 million in 2020 to around €814 million in 2023. This is a result of some clinics being obliged to offer at least five hours of open consultation without appointment per week, according to the German Health Ministry.
“The regulations for better treatment and faster appointments are a non-starter,” said a spokeswoman for the opposition Left Party, criticizing the government’s health policy and calling on the conservative-led ruling coalition to “finally take action” and analyze how medical treatment in Germany is “actually developing.
https://p.dw.com/p/582h8
Skip next section Train conductor dies following assault
02/04/2026February 4, 2026
Train conductor dies following assault
A train conductor has died after being attacked by a passenger during a routine ticket inspection on a train near the southwestern German city of Kaiserslautern.
Germany’s railway and transport union has called for greater security for staff as violence and abuse increases.
Read the full story here.
https://p.dw.com/p/582X5
Skip next section Merz in the Gulf: German Chancellor to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE
02/04/2026February 4, 2026
Merz in the Gulf: German Chancellor to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz embarked on a three-day trip to the Gulf region on Wednesday, where he is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The trip comes on the back of visits to Africa and Latin America at the end of last year and after a trip to India in January (see video), as Merz looks to strengthen Germany’s partnerships with counties outside the European Union and NATO.
“We want to intensify our relationships with countries who want to work with us and who have comparable perceptions of rules-based international trade,” said a government spokesman.
Topics on the agenda in the Gulf are expected to include oil and gas supplies, arms exports and geopolitical diplomacy, including the ongoing conflicts and crises in the Palestinian territories, Iran and Ukraine.
Since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE have become key players in global trade and foreign affairs. Indeed, the latest round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the United States, is set to take place in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital, on Wednesday and Thursday, before Merz’s arrival there on Friday.
Neither Germany (nor any European countries) are involved in those talks, but all three Gulf countries are key export markets for the German arms industry, while Qatar is an important mediator for Berlin when it comes to the repatriation of Afghans to Afghanistan.
Chancellor Merz points to values shared by Germany and India
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https://p.dw.com/p/581Rw
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage02/04/2026February 4, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Guten Morgen! Welcome to DW’s coverage of what Germany is talking about on Wednesday, February 4.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is setting off on a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates where he is looking to strengthen partnerships beyond the European Union.
Back in Germany, airline Lufthansa has announced fresh research into its Nazi past as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.
https://p.dw.com/p/581gU
