28 December 2020: The General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) announced today that the Secretary General H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, delivered a formal invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah the Amir of Kuwait, to attend the 41st GCC Summit being held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021.
H.H. Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, received the Secretary-General, Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf at Seif Palace.
The GCC Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, said: “I had the honor to personally deliver King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s invitation to H.H. Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait to attend the 41st GCC Summit taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021. I would like to take this opportunity to thank His Highness for his unequivocal efforts to strengthen the cooperation council and broaden its horizon.”
H.E. the Secretary General said: “The 41st Summit marks the beginning of a new chapter for the GCC as it enters its fifth decade. The GCC’s focus today is on meeting the ambitions of the region’s young and digital population, and enabling them to compete and lead in a globally-connected post-pandemic world, through joint efforts to restore economic growth, resume free trade negotiations, and strengthen strategic partnerships with friendly countries.”
The GCC is one of the biggest economic blocs with a GDP of USD 1.6 trillion and exports amounting to USD 609.5 Billion, making it the sixth-largest exporter in the world. In its fifth decade, GCC countries are focusing on overturning the impact the pandemic has had on their economies and restoring economic growth, as well as resuming free trade discussions and strategic partnerships with friendly countries. The GCC will also seek to further integrate and enhance its competitiveness on the global stage.
Below highlights some of the key achievements of the Gulf Cooperation Council over the past four decades:
- Establishing the GCC Commercial Arbitration Center.
- Establishing the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) which prepares, approves, and publishes GCC products' standards.
- Applying equal treatment to all GCC citizens in the field of stock ownership, company corporation, and elimination of relevant restrictions across GCC member states.
- Permitting Gulf companies to have branches in GCC states, and receive equal treatment to local companies.
- Establishing and operating the GCC Interconnected Power Grid in 2014.
- Providing intellectual property protection and promotion of innovation and creativity through the establishment of the Patent Office of the GCC.
- The GCC initiative to resolve the Yemeni crisis in 2011; the ensuing implementation mechanisms to restore the legitimacy of the Yemeni government and condemn the actions of the Houthi coup.
- Continued support for the end of disputed territories between the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
- Contributing to the international coalition against ISIS and radical terrorist organizations by funding initiatives that confront terrorism and extremism.
