The question goes like this: What benefits do you think you have reaped from the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council since its formation more than two decades ago? The answer is clear and simple; from the moment it came into being, the GCC has been nothing but meetings, receptions, pictures, resolutions and statements, none of which have served the citizens of its six member states.
As an Arab citizen of sound mind and body, I testify that what I have just said is true. Twenty years is not a short time in the life of a human being. Throughout these years no unanimity has been achieved on one single issue, not even on the long-awaited unified GCC travel document that allows citizens of the member states to move freely from one country to another. If this is the case with travel documents, what would be the situation when it comes to adopting resolutions of real moment or realizing achievements that result in real change on the ground?
More than 20 summits have been held so far, preceded by countless meetings of foreign and information ministers as well as other gatherings for senior officials. All that can be said of these meetings is that they filled papers and gave the microphones and cameras something to do — nothing else. If 20 years were not enough for a single tangible achievement, then what will become of the many pressing issues still pending, all of which are the focus of urgent demands by the GCC citizens?
Now let us come to the most important point. Both Iran and Iraq have now become crucial for the GCC. We ought to overcome the touchiness over names. The Gulf is known as both the Arabian Gulf and the Persian Gulf. Let us agree on calling it the Gulf of Peace and on turning the GCC into an active power. Consider the huge potential that the region enjoys, its geography, natural resources, rivers, seas, its strategic location, and population. We could then carve out a comprehensive practical policy to invest all this for the benefit of the people of the region.
Frankly, all previous GCC summits have not given us even a fraction of what we have been aspiring for. The years pass and the situation does not change; the GCC citizens do not see things moving forward. The time that has elapsed since the GCC was born was enough for a new state to be built from nothing. Perhaps the people of the region ought to see some real achievements about now.
