What benefit have we, Saudis, gained from being a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the entity that we served wholeheartedly and sincerely in all areas?
The brotherly ties and the common history, destiny and future challenges facing the region aside, it can be said that we in Saudi Arabia have been the big loser and the most despised. This despite the great sacrifices we offered in the military, political and economic areas in an attempt to keep alive this unique entity born in an Arab region governed by the law of the jungle.
Many may not be aware that some Gulf members never ratified the GCC security pacts at a time when heavy blows are being directed at GCC’s common economic agreements. When a member country acts unilaterally and enters into economic agreements with others outside the GCC, such acts pose serious threats to Saudi economy, which accounts for one-third of the GCC economy.
The Kingdom’s security has been jeopardized and the acts of violence witnessed by our country claimed hundreds of lives, not to mention the economic losses, including attempts to scare off investors. All this unfortunately is being fueled by a media campaign originating from the Gulf. This campaign of incitement further aggravates the situation, making it more difficult for the Kingdom to achieve total security. Not only that, special media programs targeting viewers in the Kingdom are produced with the aim of creating dissent and threatening security so that chaos may spread in the country.
Even sports, where the rules of fair play and fraternity should prevail, was not spared. All that the Kingdom gets here is abuse, revilement and insults. And yet, we continue looking the other way, showing good intentions toward the others and providing them with support.
Some may say that as the leading figure in the Gulf family, we should behave in a way befitting such role. But the big question remains; what have we gained from the GCC? Our sacrifices only made us lose in the economic, political, security and sporting areas. This has been interpreted by some to mean our country is incapable of defending its interests. One thing is certain: Our interests and security are more important than all shining slogans.
