Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

GCC is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq.

Gulf Cooperation Council was formed in 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Its head quarter is also based in Riyadh. 

There are six member states of the GCC, namely

1. Saudi Arabia
2. UAE
3. Qatar
4. Bahrain 
5. Oman
6. Kuwait 

As per article 4 of the Charter, the following objectives have been set for the Council.

The basic objectives of the Cooperation Council are:

1. To effect coordination, integration and inter-connection between Member States in all fields in order to achieve unity between them. 
2. To deepen and strengthen relations, links and areas of cooperation now prevailing between their peoples in various fields.  
3. To formulate similar regulations in various fields including the following: 
1. Economic and financial affairs 
2. Commerce, customs and communications 
3. Education and culture 
4. To stimulate scientific and technological progress in the fields of industry, mining, agriculture, water and animal resources; 
1. to establish scientific research; 
2. to establish joint ventures and encourage cooperation by the private sector for the good of their peoples. 

These countries declared that the GCC is established in view of the special relations between them, their similar political systems based on Islamic beliefs, joint destiny and common objectives. 

The GCC is a regional common market with a defense planning council as well. The geographic proximity of the these countries and their general adoption of free trade economic policies are factors that encouraged them to establish the GCC.

Based on their conviction about the connected nature of their security and that an aggression against any one of them is deemed an aggression against all of them, cooperation in the military field has received the attention of the GCC states. Such conviction stems from the facts of geopolitics and faith in one destiny. Moreover, the security challenges in an unstable regional environment, like the Gulf area, imposes on the GCC States coordination of their policies and mobilization of their capabilities.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was formed in 1981 to confront their security challenges collectively. The immediate objective was to protect themselves from the threat posed by the Iran-Iraq War and Iranian-inspired activist Islamism.

In a series of meetings, chiefs of staff and defense ministers of the gulf states developed plans for mutual defense and launched efforts to form a joint command and a joint defense network.