GCC: In Its Most Brilliant Steps

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) shares this sentiment and supports it. This feeling was reinforced by the decision of the GCC Defense Ministers to allocate appropriate forces under an advanced Gulf command based in the State of Kuwait, thereby enhancing the unity and security of Gulf defense by demonstrating a shared destiny.

The efforts to translate this shared destiny began on the first day the Gulf leaders met, in May 1981, at the First Gulf Cooperation Council Summit. At that meeting, the Sultanate of Oman proposed a memorandum calling for the establishment of a Gulf military mechanism to protect the security of member states and safeguard their safety. The proposal was discussed at the subsequent meeting held in Riyadh in late November 1981. During this meeting, the leaders addressed the military dimension and selected Major General Youssef Al-Madani as the commander of the Gulf Force, outlining its responsibilities in affirming mechanisms for collective Gulf security, following the recognition of the need for member states to coordinate in order to deepen stability and protect the collective Gulf homeland.

The decision emerged from a comprehensive conviction regarding the necessity of providing protective mechanisms that safeguard the security of the collective Gulf homeland. Major General Youssef Al-Madani was appointed head of the Military Committee. This decision stemmed from a collective awareness aimed at achieving stability and ensuring collective security for all members, while demonstrating resolve to preserve the homeland and the security of the system in all member states.

The decision taken by Gulf leaders at the Riyadh Summit in November 1981 expressed a unified will that the security of states is a shared responsibility borne by all, necessitating arrangements that achieve the ultimate goal: preserving the security and integrity of states, and countering all attempts at sabotage. From this decision, preparations were completed to launch efforts aimed at deepening comprehensive interconnection among states, encompassing all dimensions—political, security, economic, and social-human ties—which would deter provocations and encircle the region through permanent security mechanisms.

The Riyadh Summit in November 1981 fulfilled the highest aspirations for building collective defense arrangements that protect collective security mechanisms and provide security and tranquility for all. At that time, I harbored concerns that some member states might hesitate to approve the military aspect, particularly Kuwait, whose efforts and proposals had focused on economic interests and diplomatic coordination to achieve the Council’s objectives. As Secretary-General of the Council, I feared reservations at the time, as the focus had been on the political and economic aspects rather than the military, in order to reach the Council’s goals. However, experiences of some members led them to recognize the necessity of security interconnection; without it, confidence in the permanence of calm and stability cannot be fully realized, success cannot be achieved, and economic prosperity cannot materialize.

Clearly, the First Riyadh Summit—the second in the history of the GCC—announced the full vitality and effectiveness of the GCC. Without understanding regarding security cooperation, the Council’s path would remain distant from stability, lacking confidence in its ability to overcome numerous and diverse obstacles.

I was not entirely confident about the affirmation of success at the Riyadh Summit, as Kuwait’s priorities focused on the role of economic interests and benefits derived from economic interconnection, which would drive citizens to concentrate on aspects with direct livelihood benefits, without the noise of politics or military preparedness. My fears stemmed from Kuwait’s reservation regarding the proposal to introduce the military dimension into the GCC’s trajectory. From the outset, Kuwait had championed the GCC project, but its position was clearly oriented toward avoiding security and defense aspects. Consequently, there were fears of the possibility of a lack of unified positions and the impact this could have on Gulf cohesion.

The first summit took place in Abu Dhabi; it was the launch summit. The success of the first Riyadh summit stemmed from the consensus among the wise leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, who were aware of the burdens of leadership and responsibility, and who paved the way for agreement, carrying the GCC’s trajectory to dimensions I had not imagined, particularly the decision to station the Gulf military force on Kuwait’s northern border, as the defense ministers had desired. The beginning was difficult, and I state clearly that the GCC was a Kuwaiti proposal born out of a Kuwaiti conviction, championed by the late Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who preserved the council’s dignity, shielded it from fears of isolation, and devoted his efforts to fostering collective Arab consensus, while emphasizing its collective humanitarian orientation.

The late Sheikh Jaber listened to the voices of partners within the GCC, repeatedly advising us in the General Secretariat about the necessity of appreciating the circumstances of member states, insisting that there be no pressure on any party, while recognizing the capacity of member states to implement decisions. His directives echoed his wisdom in understanding and caring for each member’s situation; the journey accepts no dictates and tolerates no criticism. He advised reaffirming respect for the positions of states, as partnership within the GCC emerged from a deep belief among all member states in the purity of the journey, the quality of its outcomes, the integrity of its conduct, and the density of its benefits.

The first Abu Dhabi summit marked the birth of the council, followed by the first Riyadh summit, which announced the council’s characteristics regarding its objectives, the means to achieve them, the purity of its mechanisms, and the humanitarian nature of its launch. Through the first Riyadh summit, the council completed its journey with clarity regarding its foundations, objectives, and the legitimacy of its launch. All of this was achieved in late November 1981, when the goals expanded with the finance ministers’ approval of the draft Economic Agreement, which encompassed all the objectives the council aspired to achieve.

Abdullah Basharah