Gulf Cooperation Council

The Gulf Cooperation Council is a regional organization founded in 1981 by six Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf to coordinate cooperation among its members.

Iranian Revolution: The 1979 revolution that overthrew Iran’s monarchy and established an Islamic republic. It heightened Gulf monarchies’ concerns about regional stability shortly before the council’s creation.
Saudi Arabia: A kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula and the largest country by area in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Its size and regional influence make it central to the council’s political and economic cooperation.
Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council: The Gulf Cooperation Council’s highest authority, composed of the member states’ heads of government. It sets the organization’s broad policy direction and makes decisions at summit meetings.
Gulf diplomatic crisis: The 2017–2021 rupture in which Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar. The crisis exposed sharp divisions within the council and disrupted its normal cooperation.
European Union: A political and economic union of European states with shared institutions and binding legal powers. Unlike the European Union, the council has limited authority to enforce common policies on member states.
Iran–Iraq War: A war fought between Iran and Iraq from 1980 to 1988. The conflict reinforced the founding members’ interest in coordinating their security policies.
Kuwait: A country at the northwestern end of the Persian Gulf and a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is one of the six states represented in the council’s institutions.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat General: The permanent administrative body that supports the Gulf Cooperation Council’s councils and programs. It coordinates routine work and implements decisions made by member-state representatives.
Gulf Cooperation Council intervention in Bahrain: The 2011 deployment of Peninsula Shield Force troops to Bahrain during protests against its government. It demonstrated how member states used the council’s security framework during domestic unrest.
Arab Maghreb Union: A regional organization founded in 1989 to promote cooperation among five North African states. It is another Arab regional bloc, but political disputes have left its integration largely stalled.

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