With the holding of the 41st Gulf Summit in Al-Ula, the Gulf Cooperation Council is entering its fifth decade. Undoubtedly, this decade is culminating in an escalating state of coordination and cooperation between the Gulf states.
The strategy pursued by Saudi Arabia since King Salman assumed power, which is based on establishing coordination councils with the Gulf states, has contributed to a large extent in pushing the march of Gulf joint action to escalating levels of coordination.
The Gulf system has proven its ability to face challenges and withstand them. In the “Corona pandemic”, we find that groups rooted deep in history such as the “European Union” failed to achieve cooperation and coordination in the face of the virus, as Italy was left alone despite its weak capabilities, which prompted Italy to request Aid from outside the European framework, but looking at the Gulf system, we find that the state of coordination and cooperation remained at the forefront of the confrontation with the Corona virus, which included many files, including the investigation of the “issue of food security”, especially since this pandemic greatly affected the issue of smooth commercial supplies. .
The Corona virus has been one of the biggest challenges regarding the ability of political blocs to deal with it, and thus the Gulf system has succeeded in dealing with crises collectively, making this entity one of the regional entities that have proven successful and preserved, despite the challenges, the issue of the continuity of the bloc, and bypassing obstacles that may lead to the atrophy of this agglomerate or its disintegration.
The 41st Gulf Summit is an important stage in the history of Gulf work, and the beginning of a new decade in the march of Gulf cooperation, and looking at the accompanying step to achieve “Gulf reconciliation”, we find that this stage constitutes an important beginning on the road to completing integration, achieving unity of word and class, political vision and strengthening the march of good and prosperity, and therefore the measure taken by Saudi Arabia to open the skies and borders with Qatar is a step through which Riyadh confirms that it is with the efforts aimed at achieving reconciliation and putting an end to the current crisis with Qatar.
In conclusion, the Gulf Cooperation Council is undoubtedly the same as any multilateral organization, and it may witness the emergence of some disagreements, but the solidity of the Gulf system and the insistence of its leaders to complete what the founding fathers started, contributes to the Gulf system not to be affected by these disagreements or disrupting the course of the joint Gulf action.
