The Iran war has highlighted the need to elevate EU-Gulf Co-operation Council ties as a “strategic necessity”, GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi told the European Parliament on Wednesday.
Mr Al Budaiwi said “strengthening these relations is no longer a political option, but a strategic necessity driven by the nature of our shared challenges”.
There has been a strong show of solidarity from the EU to Gulf states in the face of Iranian attacks, after the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran in late February. EU Council President Antonio Costa is currently on a Gulf tour, a few days after a visit by the EU foreign affairs and security chief Kaja Kallas.
Speaking to the parliament's foreign affairs committee during his first visit to Brussels since the start of the war, Mr Al Budaiwi warned that Iran's campaign against Gulf states and their civilian and energy infrastructure could have “long-term consequences that could last for decades” if not addressed “firmly and responsibly”.
Iran launched attacks despite Gulf states “clearly providing assurances that they would not allow any military operations from their territory”, he added.
He called on the international community to take a stronger leadership role in “supporting stability and reducing escalation”. US-Iran talks that took place at the weekend in Pakistan failed, as Iran insisted on its right to maintain a nuclear programme. Washington then said it would impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which was already blocked by Tehran.
Many Gulf states have signalled that the recent escalation means only a deal that curbs Iran's nuclear and ballistic missiles programme, as well as its support for proxies throughout the region, would be acceptable.
The EU currently has no role in talks with Iran, though it is a member of the so-called E3 – France, Germany and the UK – that negotiated the defunct 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
As the EU and the GCC prepare their second leaders' summit scheduled to take place later this year, Mr Al Budaiwi said “relations have reached a level of maturity that requires moving from dialogue to deeper practical and institutional co-ordination”.
The GCC wants “tangible outcomes” from the meeting, Mr Al Budaiwi said, particularly when it comes to the harmonisation of Schengen visa waivers for Gulf citizens.
In 2024, the EU granted five-year, multi-entry visa to the Schengen area to citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman on their first request, instead of visitors having to initially apply for shorter visas. This was granted to Kuwait and Qatar in 2023. The UAE is the only Gulf state exempt from the Schengen visa requirement.
Another point of interest for the Gulf is concluding talks on a free-trade agreement with the European bloc, which started in 1990 but stalled in 2008. The UAE is hoping to conclude a separate agreement this year.
Energy exports, including clean hydrogen, as well as enhancing logistical connectivity through rail and airports, are topics the Gulf would like to further discuss with the EU, Mr Al Budaiwi said.
