Editorial: In pursuit of unity Tuesday, 20 December 2011 04:46

The 32nd GCC Supreme Council Summit opened in Riyadh with Arab Spring  topping the agenda and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz urging formation of a Gulf union in response to growing threats.  King Abdullah suggested that the GCC needed to adapt to new circumstances in the Middle East following the popular uprisings that swept some Arab countries earlier this year. “We learnt from history and experience not to stand still when faced with our reality. Whoever does that will end up at the back of the caravan trail and will be lost... That is something we will not accept for the sake of our countries, our people, our stability and our security. That is why I ask of you today to move beyond the stage of cooperation and into the stage of unity in a single entity,” the King said. The two-day summit, the first since the region-wide protests unseated three veteran Arab leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, will also look at possible ways to solve crises in a number of neighbouring states in the region.

The Emir, H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, were present. The GCC summit comes as the embattled regime of Syria, rocked by a nine-month uprising, agreed to an Arab League proposal to send observers to the country.  Questions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme have also been a potential cause of concern. Also on talks agenda is a plan to build a joint defence system and a proposal to work out full integration of the six Gulf states’ Armed Forces as a prelude to the implementation of a comprehensive plan to defend the Gulf countries’ integrity and sovereignty. The summit meeting may also discuss the deployment of Peninsula Shield forces in Bahrain, while reaffirming support and solidarity for Manama on all fronts.

The leaders are expected to vote on financial support and GCC membership for Jordan and Morocco, two countries mainly weathering the unrest in the region. Yemen’s accession is expected by 2016. If Jordan, Morocco and Yemen become GCC members, according to a GCC official, the GCC will become a market for over 100 million people. The GCC members are Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Republic.

Undeterred by the crisis with the euro, the GCC is still pursuing monetary union. At their 2009 summit, the leaders agreed to launch a regional currency similar to the euro. Among more established ventures are the creation of the Peninsula Shield Force, a joint military venture based in Saudi Arabia, and the signing of an intelligence-sharing pact in 2004. Other goals include customs union, a railway network, an electricity grid and a common market.  The purpose of the GCC is to achieve unity among its members based on their common objectives and their similar political and cultural identities, which are rooted in Islamic beliefs.