Anyone who reads the Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will find that the provisions of the final communiqué of the consultative summit held in Jeddah two days ago have been in place since 1980. Therefore, the recommendations are not new, but rather long overdue. Logically, these steps – railways, electricity and water interconnection, joint oil pipeline, expediting the early warning system, intensifying military cooperation, and many other economic integration measures – are already enshrined in the Charter.
So the question is, why has it been delayed for so long? For 46 years, these countries have had ample time to work on integration in these areas, even when differences of opinion exist among members. The goal is to achieve gains for the people, so political differences cannot preclude comprehensive development. The more positive commonalities, the stronger the cooperation in other areas becomes, which is the ultimate objective of the GCC. Over the past four decades, the GCC has proven its resilience, based on its positive aspects. Any delay in joint development projects is a step backward and contradicts the strategic stance maintained during the recent war in terms of dealing with the Iranian aggression.
This stance can be built upon in the future, especially given the several recent developments that cannot be ignored – from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to the sectarian militias loyal to Iran that continue to attack some GCC member states. Threats do not disappear, even if they subside for a time. Therefore, governments should not dismiss threats during periods of calm only to bring them back to the forefront when events unfold, as it happened in recent weeks. Here we must speak frankly: the procrastination over these decades has led to disruptions that were long anticipated. This is a negative point in the development decision-making process, which requires fewer summits of leaders and more of the daily work of ministers and prime ministers, as it is a matter of fulfilling a duty, as stipulated in the GCC Charter.
In the recent war, the unthinkable happened: Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, impacting the oil industries of the GCC countries. Disruptions also occurred in food supply chains and other essential goods. This test should be a crucial factor in the relentless effort to implement all pending projects among the GCC countries. Moreover, it necessitates strengthening national security strategies – military, security, industrial and food-related. The GCC states have several advantages that can be leveraged. Saudi Arabia overlooks numerous land and sea ports and covers an area exceeding two million square kilometers.
Similarly, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have several seaports. If these advantages are utilized properly, they will remarkably mitigate the impact of military and economic shocks. Saudi Arabia proved its ability to secure supply chains for all GCC states during the recent war. Here, we say better late than never.
This applies to the GCC states today. They must begin implementing these programs immediately, or they will be delayed by differences of opinion that can be resolved among these brotherly nations. They have weathered and passed many tests, from the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq War to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, through the events instigated by the Houthis, and up to the recent war. All this experience can be built upon.
