The Iran nuclear deal in Geneva has been met with mixed reactions from GCC countries, with the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain welcoming the agreement, while more sceptical comments emerge from Saudi Arabia.

In the UAE, the government said it hopes the deal represents “a step towards a permanent agreement that preserves the stability of the region and shields it from tension and the danger of nuclear proliferation,” the official Emirates News Agency (Wam) reported.

The agreement, which was reached early on 24 November between representatives of Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers, will limit Iran’s uranium enrichment activities over the next six months in exchange for limited relief from economic sanctions. Tehran is set to receive as much as $7bn over the period, including $4.2bn in frozen assets.

Another GCC member, Bahrain, also welcomed the deal. “The agreement removes fears from us, whether from Iran or any other state,” said Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khalid Suleiman al-Jarallah expressed hope the deal would pave the way for a permanent agreement, defusing tensions for security and bringing stability to the region.

However, the GCC’s largest economy, Saudi Arabia, has yet to officially react to the breakthrough in Geneva. The kingdom’s government has been vocal in recent weeks about its concerns of a rapprochement between the US and its biggest rival in the Middle East.

Abdullah al-Askar, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, reportedly expressed concerns about the deal.

“I am afraid Iran will give up something on [its nuclear programme] to get something else from the big powers, in terms of regional politics. And I’m worrying about giving Iran more space or a freer hand in the region,” Al-Askar was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

“The government of Iran, month after month, has proven that it has an ugly agenda in the region, and in this regard no one in the region will sleep and assume things are going smoothly,” he added.

Although Oman has yet to react to the agreement, the sultanate reportedly hosted meetings between representatives of the US and Iran in the run-up to the negotiations in Geneva.