GCC Summit: strong political and economic integration among member states
The Sultanate of Oman has consistently supported the progress and growth of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in various fields, actively engaging in communication and cooperation with member states to enhance the GCC's journey and realise the aspirations of the region's peoples.
Oman will participate in the 45th GCC Summit in Kuwait, with a delegation led on behalf of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik by His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Cabinet Affairs. This participation reflects Oman's commitment to the outcomes of previous GCC summits over the past four decades, which have strengthened the council's path and established integration across all domains.
GCC summits have consistently affirmed the leaders' focus on maintaining the council's strength, cohesion, and unity, safeguarding Gulf security and stability, and coordinating political positions to enhance solidarity and protect member states' interests while avoiding regional and international conflicts.
Guided by the vision and directives of GCC leaders, the Council has emphasised the importance of unity, integration, and collaboration among its members in various fields to bolster collective Gulf action.
These prudent policies have elevated the GCC's status regionally and globally, particularly in politics, economics, trade, and technology. The Council has become a sought after partner for many countries and regional blocs to establish strategic partnerships.
The upcoming summit takes place amidst ongoing regional and international political and economic challenges, as well as emerging societal issues requiring collective efforts to address them.
Politically, GCC countries continue to monitor significant issues, including the Israeli occupation forces' aggression against Gaza since October 2023. This aggression has resulted in thousands of Palestinian casualties and extensive destruction in Gaza's infrastructure. The Israeli occupation has also blocked food, relief supplies, medical resources, and fuel from entering the besieged area, despite international calls for an end to the conflict.
The GCC maintains its firm position on the centrality of the Palestinian cause, advocating for the end of the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Council supports the Arab Peace Initiative and international resolutions, urging intensified global efforts to resolve the conflict and revive the peace process in the Middle East to secure the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
It calls on the UN Security Council to issue a resolution recognising the independent State of Palestine as a full UN member. The GCC also reiterates its support for security and stability in Yemen, advocating a political solution based on the Gulf Initiative, its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, and UN Security Council Resolution 2216, preserving Yemen's sovereignty and unity.
In Lebanon, the council condemns Israeli aggression targeting civilians, resulting in significant displacement. It reaffirms its solidarity with Lebanon and its support for the nation's security and stability. Additionally, the GCC stresses the importance of Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, advocating dialogue and unity to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people amidst the current crisis.
Economically, the GCC prioritises integration, allowing citizens to own shares in joint-stock companies and ensuring tax equality for GCC nationals. Progress has been made in scientific and technological advancements across industries, agriculture, and resource management. The establishment of research centres and joint projects has invigorated economic collaboration.
Significant strides have been made in industrial cooperation, including a unified strategy for industrial development, exemptions for nationally produced goods from customs duties, and initiatives such as the Gulf Railway Authority. These efforts, coupled with continued coordination, have positioned GCC states prominently in global indices related to comprehensive development.
The GCC Statistical Centre has highlighted the progress of Gulf cooperation in achieving social sustainability, aiming to improve the quality of life, enhance social welfare, and ensure its sustainability. This goal is centred around Gulf citizens, guided by the directives and decisions of the GCC leaders, focusing on key areas such as preparing the workforce for the future, healthcare, quality higher education, empowering women and youth, and establishing an integrated social protection system.
In this context, Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC, emphasised that achieving the desired goals of the GCC revolves around providing a dignified and fulfilling life for every Gulf citizen. This is being pursued through sustainable development and the advancement and prosperity witnessed by the Gulf states under the wise leadership of the GCC leaders.
The GCC Statistical Centre's data showcases several achievements in social sustainability. As of the first quarter of 2024, the total workforce in the GCC countries reached approximately 33.8 million, constituting 58.7% of the total population, with 78.9% being male and 21.1% female. The national workforce accounts for 5.6 million, or 22.3% of the total workforce.
The Centre noted significant efforts to promote GCC-wide policies and strategies aimed at increasing localisation of the workforce. These include the GCC common market and comprehensive development efforts to address demographic imbalances, enhance industrial development, and empower women in the workforce. All GCC countries prioritise young workers while pursuing economic diversification and environmentally friendly “green jobs.”
The Centre's data also highlight remarkable progress in healthcare systems aligned with global standards. GCC states have achieved near-universal healthcare coverage, ranging from 97% to 100%, and complete prenatal care coverage. Additionally, the GCC is steadily advancing its Healthy Cities programme in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, with 29 certified healthy cities and 8 healthy universities as of October 2024.
In higher education, the GCC countries focus on improving education to meet future needs, fostering technical and vocational training, and enabling innovation and creativity. The GCC has excelled in intellectual capital, surpassing the global average in 2024. Gulf universities account for 35.1% of all Arab universities in the Times Higher Education ranking for sustainable development goals and contribute significantly to research quality.
The Centre also reports that GCC universities made substantial strides in global university rankings, advancing six places in the QS and Shanghai rankings between 2022 and 2024.
In social development, the GCC has prioritised youth and women, achieving high rankings in the global youth progress index in 2024. Economic citizenship is a strategic objective, with GCC states leading regional indices in social well-being and prosperity in 2023.
Sustainable cities remain a key priority for GCC countries, aiming to balance economic growth with environmental conservation and improved quality of life. By 2023, 99.8% to 100% of GCC populations had access to safe drinking water, and 88.9% to 100% of wastewater was treated safely.
The GCC Statistical Centre highlights efforts in water security, food safety, and green energy. GCC states achieved scores of 80 to 100 in global food safety indices, well above the global average of 68.7. In green energy, GCC countries lead the Middle East in the Energy Trilemma Index 2024, which evaluates sustainability, affordability, and security.
The Centre also reports significant progress in renewable energy, with an annual growth rate of 68.5% in installed capacity for renewable energy plants between 2018 and 2023. The GCC holds 30% of the region's total renewable energy capacity and over half of its solar energy capacity.
Regarding hydrogen, the GCC has taken substantial steps towards investing in clean hydrogen technologies, with strategic plans implemented in early 2024. The GCC Statistical Centre also reveals a strategic roadmap for Gulf economic integration, encompassing 24 programmes by 2025.
The GCC states are enhancing infrastructure integration through the development of ports, airports, and road networks, facilitating trade and fostering joint economic development.
All GCC countries have made significant strides in global safety and security indices, surpassing regional and global averages. Furthermore, 10 GCC container ports were ranked among the world's top 70 most efficient in 2024, highlighting their pivotal role in global maritime logistics.
The unified maritime operations centre, one of the notable achievements of GCC cooperation, contributes to protecting regional waters, ensuring free navigation, and enhancing security and stability within the council.
This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.