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The full form of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) is sometimes referred to as the Cooperation Council for the Arab Gulf States (CCASG). It is an economic and political union of the Middle Eastern countries that form the Arabian Peninsula and border the Persian Gulf. Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are the union’s six member states, and they are commonly referred to as “The GCC States.” The Gulf Cooperation Council countries signed a united economic pact on November 11, 1981, in Abu Dhabi.
GCC Objectives
The primary goals of the Cooperation Council are to establish unity among member states through coordination, integration, and connectivity in all domains
To deepen and strengthen the relationships, ties, and areas of cooperation that are currently prevalent among their individuals in numerous fields.
To develop equivalent regulations in a variety of disciplines, including the following:
Economic and financial matters
Trade, customs, and communication
Culture and education
Social and health concerns
Tourism and information
Legislative and administrative proceedings
To promote scientific and technological growth in the domains of industry, mining,
They use agriculture, water, and animal resources as well as to establish scientific research, joint ventures, and encourage private sector cooperation for the benefit of their people.
The Gulf Cooperation Organization
Ever since the discovery of oil, the GCC region has seen tremendous change and is now home to some of the world’s fastest-expanding economies. Today, the GCC governments are making successful steps to diversify their economies away from reliance on the petroleum industry. Finance, logistics, aviation, communications, healthcare, and tourism are among the diverse growing industries that offer several business prospects. Foreign collaboration, investment, and modernisation result in extensive diplomatic and commercial ties with other countries.
Economic and Commercial Relations
India has long had friendly relations and collaboration with the Gulf Cooperation Council. India’s long-standing historical links with the GCC states, rising oil and gas imports, increased commerce and investment, and the presence of around 6.5 million Indian workers in the area are of critical importance to the country. India’s economic ties with the GCC have grown gradually, owing primarily to rising oil imports. India’s exports to the GCC totalled the US $28.06 billion in 2020-21. During the period, bilateral two-way trade totalled US $87.36 billion, a decrease of approximately 27% from the previous year. The following table shows India’s trade with the GCC countries over the last three years.
Governance and Politics
The GCC Supreme Council is made up of the leaders of the member countries. It is the GCC’s top decision-making body, establishing its mission and objectives. Decisions on major problems must be unanimously approved, and decisions on procedural concerns must be approved by a majority. Every member country has one vote.
The Foreign Ministers of all member countries make up the Ministerial Council. It meets once every three months. It develops policies and encourages collaboration and coordination among member governments when carrying out ongoing initiatives. Its conclusions are presented to the Supreme Council in the form of recommendations. The Council of Ministers is also in charge of planning and executing the Supreme Council’s agenda.
Gulf Cooperation Council Members
According to population estimates, the GCC states collectively have more than 54 million people. The GCC nations’ combined GDP is $3.464 trillion. The member countries are all monarchies. A 2011 idea proposes establishing a “Gulf Union,” which would improve the countries’ economic, military, and political links. This proposal is intended to counterbalance Iran’s regional influence. The GCC countries are also undertaking structural reform projects to lessen the member countries’ reliance on oil. Bahrain, Kuwait, Omar, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates comprise the GCC.
According to the IMF, the GCC union may provide inhabitants with real benefits in transportation, employment, communication, education, training, and food and water security.
GCC Headquarters
Omrania encountered a common difficulty when building the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) headquarters complex in Riyadh: how to honour Islamic architecture using a modern lexicon that defies convention. Equally paramount was the Council’s charter to support “common traits and similar systems based on the Islamic ideology.” Omrania conceived the complex as a cohesive reflection of the architecture of the Gulf’s six countries, in keeping with the project’s lofty ambitions and prominent diplomatic purpose. It sits on a 126,000-square-metre plot next to Riyadh’s Embassy Quarters.
The primary headquarters of the council area is in the Saudi city of Riyadh. The GCC Charter was signed on May 25, 1981, effectively establishing the organisation.
Conclusion
The US military maintains a significant presence throughout the Arabian Peninsula. However, it must now contend with a new and emerging dynamic in which the majority of GCC countries have begun to diversify their military, economic, political, technological, and security partnerships with countries other than the US. Many GCC countries have turned to growing powers such as China, Russia, and India in recent years for assistance with their national security and economic concerns. Nonetheless, understanding the mechanisms of base political influence in a host nation is still important today, and studying base politics quite broadly helps future policymakers and scholars of the region understand when and why basing access may be lost.
