Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has been invited by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to attend the 35th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, to be held in Doha on Dec. 9-10.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman told Arab News that Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal received the invite on behalf of the king during his meeting with Qatari Minister of State, Sheikh Abdurrahman bin Saud Al-Thani.

The official added that both dignitaries held talks on a range of subjects focusing mainly on bilateral relations and the forthcoming GCC summit.

Some analysts are considering this year's summit a turning point for the bloc due to turmoil in the region — with the conflict in Syria and Islamic State terror in Iraq.

"Moreover, the summit will be an opportunity to further strengthen the Gulf bloc," said a Qatari official who preferred anonymity, in an apparent reference to an initiative to launch a joint military command and control system during the summit.

The official stressed that talks between Prince Saud and the Qatari minister in Riyadh coincided with the meeting of the GCC Shoura councils and parliaments in Doha. According a statement, GCC parliamentarians discussed preparations for the summit meeting and decided to form a joint committee to enhance cooperation with the European Parliament.

Besides GCC heads of state, a large number of regional organizations such as the Arab League have been invited to attend this year's summit.