- RIYADH: The Shoura Council on Sunday described the call by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for a union of Gulf states as a historic step in the progress march of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
- King Abdullah made the call at the 32nd summit of GCC leaders in Riyadh last week.
The Shoura comments came at a regular session of the council chaired by Shoura Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh in Riyadh on Sunday.
Leaders of the six-nation GCC concluded a two-day summit in Riyadh on Tuesday with a vow to support King Abdullah's call to transform the GCC into a single powerful regional entity.
Al-Asheikh said King Abdullah's call came at a time when concerted efforts are needed to face future challenges. Describing it as a far-sighted move, he said this will enable the GCC states to converge their policies into a joint plan of action.
The Shoura chairman urged all consultative bodies in the GCC countries to extend their cooperation to successfully implement these policies. Such a move, he said, would serve the political, economic and social interests of all Gulf countries.
Meanwhile, GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani said the customs union will come into force on Jan. 1, 2015, through the formation of a GCC commission comprising directors of customs from all GCC countries.
