Since 1981 when the GCC countries decided to go through with integration in the hope of reaching complete unity one day, the emotions of its people were always volatile between the gains they will achieve and the sacrifices they fear they would have to make.
The six Arabic countries managed to create a unique identity for each one of them. A liberal UAE, a democratic Kuwait, a conservative Saudi Arabia, a cultured Bahrain, a traditional Oman, and a vibrant Qatar; but among these distinctions they still managed to build a unifying spirit that sustained many regional and international challenges.
A lot have been achieved in terms of coordination and incorporation in the past thirty years between the neighboring countries, which made their people feel that they are practically half citizens when visiting or moving to each other’s countries.
Major issues such as defense, customs, education, security and trade agreements were all resolved with long and measured stages that took more than their share in execution. However, the expectations of their people are putting a lot of pressure for quicker and greater results.
When the time came to cross the final bridge into the anticipated unity, it seems that no one had a clear idea what the final product would be like. Many small details were left out, such as the unified currency, opening of borders, and domestic flights authorization to name a few, which made the GCC leaders create special committees to come up with rapid solutions to bypass these obstacles.
A GCC minister was asked last week if the vision of the unity should be put to a referendum where the people could have their say in their future state. The minister replied that there is no need for such referendums. I find myself in disagreement with the minister. A people referendum is exactly what the GCC project needs in its last phase. It would be really interesting to know what the citizens of UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar have to say in this regard.
The only way that the governments of these six countries can produce a widely acceptable unity is by involving the people in the process. The future structure of all civil societies is based on popular participation in public life, which will insure a more successful and secure GCC.
I sincerely hope that it will not take another thirty years to come up with a vision for a unified GCC. The six countries are losing a lot of cumulative potential that can bring the GCC and its people a step further into the developed world.
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