41st Annual Summit of Gulf Cooperation Council

On 5th January, 2021, at the 41st annual summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia), Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a “solidarity and stability” agreement with Qatar.

About Solidarity and Stability Deal

  • All members of GCC had signed a deal to remove the sanctions over Qatar and re-open their land, sea and airline borders to Qatar.
  • The accord emphasizes Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability as well as the strengthening of friendship and brotherhood.
  • Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt will lift the blockade on Qatar, and Doha will drop related lawsuits.
  • The deal is seemingly influenced by a desire to pre-empt pressure from the newly elected US administration, more than a genuine commitment to conflict resolution.

Significance

  • The move would reunite the Gulf region and promote the efforts of increasing friendship to solve challenges around them.

About Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

  • The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf is a regional intergovernmental political and economic organisation, with six members: The Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
  • Set up in 1981, its objectives are to enhance coordination, integration and inter-connection among its members.
  • All GCC members are also members of the Arab League. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are prominent members of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries).

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