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The Gulf Co-operation Council on Tuesday held a consultative summit in the Saudi port city of Jeddah amid regional challenges stemming from the war in Iran.
Gulf leaders called for the "accelerated" completion of a joint missile warning system for the region, according to GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi. He said leaders also called for "expediting" new oil, gas and water projects.
The Gulf states' missile defences were called into action by weeks-long Iranian strikes, which also inflicted damage on water and energy sites.
Leaders "underlined the importance of intensifying military integration among the member states, and accelerating the completion of the early warning system project against ballistic missiles", Mr Al Budaiwi said. He said they also expressed "categorical rejection" of Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and its designs on collecting tolls from the sea lane.
The summit, which was led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussed “a number of topics and issues related to regional and international developments and the co-ordination of efforts regarding them", the Saudi Press Agency reported. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also attended the meeting.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said that Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed took part in the summit on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed. He was received by Prince Faisal.
Earlier in the day, Saudi state media reported the arrivals of Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Sabah, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim and Bahrain's King Hamad in Jeddah. It said they were greeted by Prince Mohammed.
Kuwait's state news agency Kuna described the meeting as an “exceptional summit” but no further details were provided.
Sheikh Tamim said in a post on X that the summit showed a unified regional position in response to the current situation, emphasising the need for closer co-ordination among member states.
“Today's Gulf consultative summit in Jeddah embodies the unified Gulf stance towards the current situations, and the need it entails for intensifying co-ordination and consultation, in a manner that enhances the active role of our countries in supporting diplomatic paths and preserving the security of the region and the stability of its peoples,” he said.
The summit comes after Gulf countries were attacked by Iran in strikes after the US and Israel began attacking it on February 28. Iran aimed for energy and civilian infrastructure in the Gulf.
On Monday, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to Sheikh Mohamed, highlighted the need to restore “Gulf unity and solidarity”, which he said was “not at the level required by the challenges and events of today”.
“We cannot allow anyone outside the Gulf region to dictate our security priorities. These missiles will not be aimed at them tomorrow – they will be aimed at us,” Dr Gargash told the Gulf Creators event in Dubai.
The GCC was established in 1981 amid security concerns after the Iranian Revolution and the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War. Its members are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
