GCC Secretary General Delivers Formal Invitation to King of Bahrain to attend the 41st GCC Summit
28 December 2020, Riyadh: The General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) announced today that the Secretary General H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, delivered a formal invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to attend the 41st GCC Summit being held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021.
The Secretary-General of the GCC, H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, said: “Today I met with H.R.H.Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain to personally deliver King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s invitation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, to attend the 41st GCC Summit taking place in Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Bahrain on its presidency of the 41st GCC Term, and express my confidence in the role the Bahraini government will play in advancing joint GCC action to enhance the aspirations of all GCC citizens towards more coherence, cooperation and integration.”
H.E. the Secretary General added: “Bahrain’s presidency for the 41st GCC term coincides with the start of GCC’s fifth decade. We enter this decade together with a deep-rooted partnership and a cohesive, resilient GCC that consistently overcomes challenges while advancing the GCC’s integration mandate.”
The GCC is one of the biggest economic blocs with a GDP of USD 1.6 trillion and exports amounting to USD 609.5 Billion, making it the sixth-largest exporter in the world. In its fifth decade, GCC countries are focusing on overturning the impact the pandemic has had on their economies and restoring economic growth, as well as resuming free trade discussions and strategic partnerships with friendly countries. The GCC will also seek to further integrate and enhance its competitiveness on the global stage.
Below highlights some of the key achievements of the Gulf Cooperation Council over the past four decades:
- Establishing the GCC Commercial Arbitration Center.
- Establishing the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) which prepares, approves, and publishes GCC products’ standards.
- Applying equal treatment to all GCC citizens in the field of stock ownership, company corporation, and elimination of relevant restrictions across GCC member states.
- Permitting Gulf companies to have branches in GCC states, and receive equal treatment to local companies.
- Establishing and operating the GCC Interconnected Power Grid in 2014.
- Providing intellectual property protection and promotion of innovation and creativity through the establishment of the Patent Office of the GCC.
- The GCC initiative to resolve the Yemeni crisis in 2011; the ensuing implementation mechanisms to restore the legitimacy of the Yemeni government and condemn the actions of the Houthi coup.
- Continued support for the end of disputed territories between the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
- Contributing to the international coalition against ISIS and radical terrorist organizations by funding initiatives that confront terrorism and extremism.
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The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) is an intergovernmental, political, and economic union founded in 1981 comprising six neighboring countries in the Arabian Peninsula. These states are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. The union’s objective is to affect coordination, integration, and interconnectedness between the Member States to achieve unity between them and to deepen and strengthen relations, links, and areas of cooperation that prevails between their citizens in various fields. The Council’s General Secretariat is currently headed by His Excellency Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf and it is headquartered in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.
For the latest news on the 41st GCC summit, visit the GCC41.org.
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