RIYADH, 29 May 2006 — The six Gulf Cooperation Council states have accepted the Emir of Qatar’s suggestion to adopt his country’s curriculum as part of an initiative to improve the quality of education across the region.
Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, secretary-general of the GCC, announced the decision at a press conference held at the GCC headquarters yesterday to mark the 25th anniversary of the council.
Al-Attiyah said the GCC states had endorsed the proposal by the Qatari leader Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifa Al-Thani, who referred to his state’s rich experience on the educational front. He pointed out that Qatar has several job-oriented courses and a cadre of highly experienced teachers who constantly go through training programs to upgrade their skills.
“Member states have responded positively,” he said, adding that the curriculum caters to the needs of the employment market. At another level, it is necessary to streamline the Islamic curriculum to ensure that students are not overburdened with too many subjects. So long as the core values based on the Shariah remain intact, peripheral subjects need not be taught in detail.
Asked about the progress in unifying the currency of the member states, he said the cutoff date for the common currency has been fixed for January 2010. “Considering that the GCC is just 25 years old, it is a major achievement to move closer to the goal of a unified currency,” said Al-Attiyah.
On the question of economic integration, the GCC secretary-general pointed out that much headway has been made in completing the study for the power grid. “We are also exploring the possibility of bringing water from the Arabian Sea to the Gulf states under the water desalination program. To this end, a feasibility study will be undertaken in October and the findings of the study will be handed over to the heads of GCC states for their decision, in time for the next summit to be held in Riyadh,” he added.
Referring to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, Al-Attiyah said that country has every right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. “I am surprised why Arab countries don’t use nuclear energy for power generation instead of relying on the traditional method. However, the main concern of the GCC states is that Iran’s nuclear energy program should be strictly for peaceful purposes and should not create a situation leading to lethal radiation leaks,” he added.
The GCC secretary-general called for a dialogue with Iran on this issue as the best way of moving forward. “Every member state of the GCC has a bilateral agreement with Iran on economic issues. What is needed is a unified agreement with that country.”
On Iraq, he said the GCC hopes for a return to normalcy in that country, since any instability there will have an adverse impact on the neighboring countries. Al-Attiyah said the Gulf states have never interfered in Iraq’s internal affairs.
