In 1981, collaborative efforts by representatives from six Arabian states founded the Gulf Cooperation Council to synergize their interests and foster the growth and development of their region. GCC intends to achieve cooperation among its member states by strengthening links, standardizing regulations, and encouraging scientific and technological research through the establishment of research centers. In addition, GCC promotes the adoption of policies that foster collaboration between private sectors of all the six states (Al-Mahmoud et al. 10). Since 1981, numerous developments have occurred within the Arab States. These developments have boosted the region’s ability to compete within the international market. They include the establishment of the Economic Agreement, Free Trade Area, Customs Union, and Common Market. In December 2008, a deliberation led to the establishment of the Monetary Union. Subsequently, the Monetary Union was set up and a single currency introduced to facilitate faster business transactions and stabilize various aspects of foreign exchange. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) aims at uniting member states through effective coordination, interconnection, and integration.
The dispute that erupted between Iran and the United Arab Emirates about Abu Musa Island started after the British left the area in 1971. The Iranian military seized the Island immediately upon the departure of the British from the area. The Iranians stated that they had historical ownership of the Island. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates professed rights over the Island by claiming that the British transferred the Island to them. More developments led to the agreement between Sharjah and Iran regarding the Abu Musa Island. However, there was no agreement between Iran and Ras al-Khaimah. The international community did not recognize the claim by the United Arab Emirates because when Iran and Britain agreed on the Abu Musa Island, UAE was not yet an official state and could not present any claims regarding the territory (Eliot and Maud 146).
GCC’s pronouncement inviting two countries to join the council was unexpected. These countries were Jordan and Morocco, which had little expectations to join the geopolitical organization. GCC made this announcement amid the changing relationship of its member states with the rest of the world. The ongoing protests and uprisings within the Arab world promoted the pronouncement. Arab countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have suffered the wrath of the widespread violence. The protest had not only shaken the region’s internal politics but also affected many geostrategic essentials that govern the region’s relationship with the rest of the world. Thus, there was a need for the region to re-evaluate some of its traditionally held aspects of governance. Leaders within GCC probably had the notion that there were key domestic and peripheral changes taking place in the Arab world. They thought that these changes could have considerable effects on the region’s political stability and the continued existence of its political stagnation — the concerns related to fundamental principles of democracy, which the Arabian countries are yet to embrace. In as much as there are counterrevolutionary efforts by Saudi Arabia and other rich GCC countries such as the issuing of reasonable remuneration for the welfare of their people, advisors, political analysts, and policymakers are certain that the region’s geopolitical activities will not normalize. What is clear is that GCC aspires for an open and progressive political regime that will spur socio-economic growth throughout the Arab region (Kshetri and Ajami 301).
Works Cited
Al-Mahmoud, Mohammed, Mesbah Khalil, and Adel Moustafa. “The Jinadriyah anticlines: a surface model for oil fields in eastern Saudi Arabia.” Arabian Journal of Geosciences 2.3 (2009): 213-234. Print.
Eliot, George, and Maud Jackson. Middlemarch. Chino Hills, California: Los-Andes/Black Cat, 2004. Print.
Kshetri, N, and R Ajami. “Institutional reforms in the Gulf Cooperation Council economies: A conceptual framework.” Journal of International Management 14.3 (2008): 300-318. Print.