The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is moving forward steadily and will focus in its fifth decade on economic matters, said GCC Secretary-General Nayef al-Hajraf on Sunday.
The GCC will work on bolstering and supporting joint action to help restore economic growth, return life to normal after the pandemic and achieve sustainable development goals, he explained in a press statement before the council summit scheduled for Saudi Arabia’s AlUla on Tuesday.
He said that the fact that the summit was being held despite the extraordinary conditions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic underscores the role its leaders play in preserving it as a cohesive system that can overcome challenges and bolster its integration efforts in all fields.
Hajraf noted Saudi Arabia’s chairing of the G20 presidency for 2020 and its ability to lead the global group to boost international cooperation.
Today the Kingdom is preparing to host the 41st GCC summit, which will stress the importance of bolstering Gulf cooperation and integration in all fields, he continued.
He hoped the summit would help push joint Gulf action forward, enhance the security and stability of GCC countries and realize their people’s aspirations for greater cooperation and integration.
The council has implemented several integrative projects over the past four decades, Hajraf noted. They include the establishment of the GCC common market, customs union, the interconnection grid and free capital movement that are the foundation for the “next stage of the bloc’s march to build a bright future.”
