The impact of Saudi-Emirati alliance and coordination council on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)‎

Abstract EN

The GCC presents a unique model of cooperation in the Middle East region and in the world.

This cooperation and coordination was established in 1981 and went through long evolutional process that resulted in engagement of member states in actual and deep integration in different fields and levels.

In spite of the contemporary and accelerated evolution of this Council; it has faced different issues and difficulties that threatened its permanence and sustainability, especially in view of the GCC crisis in which Gulf break among Qatar and its neighbours, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain — all U.

S.

partners — alongside non-Gulf Egypt.

This crisis was the first manifestation of the fragmentation of the GCC and constituted the greatest threat to its continuation.

It was followed by another and bigger threat to the Council's continuity, which was carried out by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, through their decision of the formation of joint cooperation committee between them.

This research paper presents an investigational attempt to shed light on and review some of the prominent researches and literature that studied the GCC nature, its achievements, challenges and prospects, in addition to the literary review of the new alliance between Saudi Arabia and UAE and its expected effect on the GCC from the political analysts and experts' perspective.

It was concluded that this alliance could be considered as threatening to the continuity of the GCC and could put the GCC's future at risk.