The GCC summit underlines Gulf priorities

Leaders from across the region stand for a photograph during the 46th GCC Summit, at Sakhir Palace, in Bahrain. UAE Presidential Court

It may already seem too far in the past, but it was only earlier this year that a member country of the Gulf Co-operation Council came under attack, twice. On June 23, Iran attacked Qatar’s Al Udeid air base. And three month later, Israel struck Doha on September 9. Gulf leaders were quick to rally around Qatar and condemned the attacks, as did other leaders from the wider Middle East like Syria and Lebanon.

Since those attacks, the idea of collective defence for the GCC’s six member states has received much attention. Following the September strike, leaders of Arab and Islamic nations convened for an emergency summit in Doha to excoriate Israel’s actions. While a united front was immediately on display, there was a need for a determined plan of action, which would factor in a collective response to any future acts of hostility on any member of the GCC.

Even as the Gulf states share a healthy spirit of economic competitiveness, this week’s summit highlighted their intertwined destinies and the need to continue strengthening co-operation

In Bahrain this week, that has been brought to light. As Gulf leaders gathered in the city of Muharraq for a high-level summit, a message was issued in no uncertain terms that emphasised the united strength of the grouping. No longer can adversarial nations venture to attack any member state of the GCC without factoring in a severe response. A security threat to one member state now is deemed a security threat to all, as was articulated in the final communique. It reiterated the words of King Hamad of Bahrain at the opening session of the summit when he said: “The security and prosperity of the Gulf states are indivisible.”

This comes at a time when the GCC’s heft has increased undeniably in the Middle East. In the past few years, Gulf countries have taken on a wider role in shaping the region’s future – whether in aiding the mediation of a ceasefire in Gaza, enabling technological advances or helping post-war Syria get back on its feet.

The agenda at the summit was to build on this growing influence. Some of the discussions centred on stronger defence capabilities – including the completion of the joint defensive air shield that GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi highlighted ahead of the meeting, and navigating conflict-related regional diplomacy and advancing economic partnerships.

The GCC’s growth and its expanding role in the region are underpinned by each member state’s stability, prosperity, effective governance and a common predisposition to plan for an unpredictable and dynamic future.

This stability, however, while intact, has in recent years faced foes who wish to undercut it, including from armed groups and extremists and more recently in the strikes by Iran and Israel.

In response to these threats and indeed in preparation for them, the GCC is thinking strategically by striving to deepen existing areas of collaboration with each other as well as creating new ones.

Even as the Gulf states share a healthy spirit of economic competitiveness, this week’s summit highlighted their intertwined destinies and the need to continue strengthening co-operation within the group in areas such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and to enhance international partnerships beyond it.

But while the idea of building collective defence has taken on a new level of urgency, member states are all too aware that continued economic growth and prosperity will remain central to maintaining both national and regional security. This is an indispensable part of the GCC’s growing relevance to the wider region and the rest of the world.