Saudis across the spectrum hailed the decision taken by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to form a unified military command for GCC countries on Thursday, saying it would reinforce regional security architecture.
The GCC summit in Kuwait City adopted the key decision on the formation of a joint military command for the member states.
Speaking with Arab News, Saud Al-Suwaileh of the US-Saudi Business Council said: “The decision will strengthen the six-member council’s defense capabilities amid growing challenges.”
Al-Suwaileh stated that the joint military command would bolster military cooperation through a unified attempt to strengthen the defense system in the region.
Fawaz Al-Otaibi, a senior academician, described it as a very positive step.
He said that GCC countries, notably Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, formed the Peninsula Shield force in 1982 to strengthen the regional security system and that this decision would further strengthen GCC military cooperation and will coordinate joint efforts to face such challenges.
He said that GCC countries also agreed to set up a GCC police force and establish the Gulf Academy for Strategic and Security Studies in the UAE, which will increase knowledge transfer on security systems and achieve a unified realization of threats across the GCC region.Abdullah Alkuhaini, general manager of Sesco, hailed the decision and emphasized the significance of the joint military command, saying it would strengthen GCC military cooperation and the security system in the region.
The annual summit of GCC leaders concluded its deliberations by adopting key decisions, including the formation of a joint military command to strengthen the six-member group’s defense capabilities amid growing regional challenges.
