Gulf Cooperation Council
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a regional political and economic organization established on May 25, 1981, following a meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The concept of forming the council was advocated by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The council comprises six member states, all of which border the Arabian Gulf: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Secretary-General of the council is Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani.
All member states of the council are monarchies. Three of these countries operate under a constitutional monarchy: Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Two member states, Saudi Arabia and Oman, follow an absolute monarchy system, while the United Arab Emirates has a federal monarchy system consisting of seven emirates, each governed by its own ruler.
Reasons for Establishing the Gulf Cooperation Council
The GCC was founded on May 25, 1981, during a meeting that laid out a cooperative framework among the member states. The primary objective was to achieve coordination and integration among the council members across all sectors to foster unity, as outlined in Article Four of the council’s charter. This article also delineated the core objectives of the GCC, including:
- To achieve integration, coordination, and interconnectivity among member states in all areas to promote unity.
- To strengthen and deepen the ties of cooperation and communication between the peoples of member states across various fields.
- To establish similar systems in economic and financial affairs, trade, customs, transportation, education, culture, healthcare, media, tourism, as well as legislative and administrative matters.
- To encourage progress and development in multiple sectors, including agriculture, industry, mining, animal and aquatic resources, along with fostering joint projects and establishing research centers while promoting private sector collaboration.
Emblem of the Gulf Cooperation Council
The emblem of the Gulf Cooperation Council consists of two concentric circles of different sizes. The larger circle features the phrase “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” at the top, with the name “Gulf Cooperation Council” inscribed in Arabic at the bottom. The smaller inner circle contains an engraved hexagonal shape representing the six member states, featuring a map of the Arabian Peninsula with the member countries outlined in brown. Above the circle, the flags of the six countries are displayed.