Everything That Happened at the 44th GCC Summit in Qatar

Yesterday, Qatar hosted the much-anticipated 44th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit where it was attended by high-level officials from across the Arab world including the likes of President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed AlNahyan; King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa AlKhalifa; Prince Mohammed bin Salman AlSaud, Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia; Deputy Prime Minister For Cabinet Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, Fahad bin Mahmoud AlSaid; and Sheikh Salem Abdullah AlJaber AlSabah, Foreign Minister of Kuwait.

The event took place at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel (a location where previous GCC meetings occurred) and addressed several crucial issues impacting not only the Gulf region, but the entirety of the Middle East. We here at Gulf Moments have gathered key highlights that you may have missed. 

The 6 Countries of the GCC Join Forces to Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza 

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar stood together as they called for an immediate ceasefire to stop the genocide from escalating much further. "What is happening in the Gaza Strip in terms of the occupation forces’ violation of moral and humanitarian standards is a disgrace to the international community," Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said. "A temporary truce cannot be an alternative to a ceasefire in Gaza."

The Supreme Council also voiced out their rejection for any type of justifications or excuses that have described the Israeli aggression on Palestine as self-defense. At least 21,000 people including 7,112 children and 4,885 women have been killed in Gaza by Israeli military action since October 7. During the summit, Qatar’s Emir stressed on the current state of Gaza and called it a "disgrace to the international community." “This does not permit the crimes of genocide that Israel is committing," His Majesty continued.  

Calls for Ending the Illegal Israeli Blockade

Arab leaders agreed that the blockade indeed violates UN Security Council Resolution 2417. They have also condemned the illegal prevention of humanitarian aid and their apparent use of civilian starvation as a combat method, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law.

Strengthening Regional Security Across the Region

The importance of bolstering collective security in the Gulf region was heavily discussed. They also spoke about the need for dialogue, cooperation, and joint efforts to address shared challenges, including terrorism, extremism, and interference in internal affairs.

Prioritizing Energy Transition and Climate Change Principles 

This will involve the continuation of sustainable investment when it comes to hydrocarbon resources to help maintain and keep global energy market stability. This plan also aims to adopt a circular carbon economy route to fight the problems faced by greenhouse gas emissions.