The Gulf Cooperation Council and Global Security

I returned from London a few days ago, where I met with several friends and acquaintances from among Britain’s residents, mostly Arabs and Africans, as well as individuals from European Union countries. Despite their preoccupation with life in the UK, the Gulf remains a focal point of concern for everyone regarding its security, stability, and its major responsibility in ensuring calm and stability in the Gulf region—a region whose stability and prosperity have become central to global attention. This collective concern stems from a persistent global fear that the turmoil dominating the Middle East might spill over into the Gulf’s strategically vital role in global security. Having grown accustomed to chronic instability in the Middle East, the world prioritizes fortifying the Gulf against chaos and shielding it from shocks that could undermine Gulf security and its integration with global security.

In truth, isolating the Gulf map from the entrenched chaos in the Middle East and safeguarding its enduring stability remains a top global priority. The healthy attributes of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region—both in its geography and in its awareness of the weight of its responsibilities toward global political and strategic security—compel it to adhere to the conditions of this responsibility. Through my work with the GCC, I have personally observed that the Council’s foremost priority is fulfilling its global obligations to contribute to consolidating and maintaining global security and stability, while recognizing the high expectations the world’s population places on GCC states. There is a conviction that the trust of the world’s people in GCC leadership must be preserved and sustained as an influential endorsement and a certificate of good conduct offered by the world in appreciation of these countries’ commitment to preserving the health and well-being of all humanity.

The strategic relationship linking the GCC to global security has generated a massive body of duties that Gulf states must fulfill, addressing all the concerns occupying the world’s populations. This has fostered fruitful interdependence between the Gulf and the global community. Fortunately, Gulf leaders possess a consciousness characterized by confidence in the necessity of strategic understanding between energy holders and those who cannot do without it, between owners and consumers. Over time, the interdependence of interests between the two sides has deepened, transforming relations into a permanent and enduring partnership. There is no room for bargaining or leveraging it to enhance gains; the development that united both parties—the owners and the consumers—arose from mutual trust, the deepening of permanent interconnection, and the growing and entrenched nature of their interests. This has built mutual convictions on both sides that their destinies are inextricably linked.

I was present during the 1970s, a period marked by the energy crisis stemming from the October 1973 War and the convening of the special session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss oil, a topic that was prominent and influential at the time. I still recall those long hours spent in continuous meetings, where the atmosphere was dominated by fears of failure leading to divisions harmful to global security. I also remember the efforts underway between major industrial powers and major producers. We cannot forget the positive role of the Saudi delegation during that session, which was characterized by calmness and a careful approach to achieving an agreement satisfactory to both sides. Some industrial countries also emphasized their moderation in seeking an agreement acceptable to all. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Gulf countries stood alongside European moderation to mitigate negative sentiments toward producing nations. That session yielded outcomes whose positive impact remains influential in keeping energy away from political considerations, shielding it from political infiltration, and treating it as a rare strategic commodity needed by the entire world—both poor and rich. Most importantly, it ensured that energy was removed from the political file, without price exaggerations, and with export volumes sufficient to satisfy the needs of the global community.

I also recall the constructive role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its efforts to achieve global consensus that ensures price fairness and secures adequate supply volumes to meet global energy needs, while neutralizing energy and removing it from political issues, preventing its transformation into a weapon, and instead directing it to serve humanity. The outcome of that session provided a lasting solution to the energy issue, eliminating its place in political considerations. This harvest was achieved without reservations from any side. From that extraordinary session, rare consensus emerged to isolate energy from political affairs and respect it as a strategic commodity needed by the entire world. That session witnessed the complete removal of energy from political considerations and its emergence as a rare strategic commodity, possessed by few but needed by many, with everyone committed to preserving it and keeping its prices within a range acceptable to all.

From that special session, energy emerged free from political contamination and proceeded along a conservative path, maintaining its identity in satisfying everyone—rich and poor, large and small, the world and the dreamer. The process moved forward without disruption. Here, I must specifically commend the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for his follow-up on the negotiations taking place between major consumers and major producers, and for his rational and moderate influence in facilitating an agreement and understanding between producers and consumers that satisfied both sides and achieved their shared objectives. History records the prominent role played in achieving understanding and agreement between major consumers and major producers, with both sides convinced of their commitment to the principles of the agreement and regarding it as a fundamental and essential document for maintaining ongoing harmony between the parties. Following this agreement, which came after exhausting negotiations, oil-producing and consuming countries achieved a historic accord that became a contract pleasing to both sides, providing them with what they desired and sought to attain. Since that date, calmness has prevailed, and the conviction has deepened regarding the necessity of preserving the integrity of that historic decision.

Abdullah Basharahil