Level 7 of 10: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

The Gulf Cooperation Council, formally the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, is a regional organisation of six states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Its charter was signed in Abu Dhabi on 25 May 1981 after a foreign ministers' meeting in Riyadh on 4 February 1981, and its Secretariat General is in Riyadh. The charter names the Supreme Council of heads of state as the highest authority, meeting once a year with a rotating presidency, a Ministerial Council of foreign ministers meeting every three months, and the Secretariat General. The Supreme Council appoints the Secretary-General for a renewable three-year term, and substantive decisions require unanimity. The GCC says its aims are coordination, integration and interconnection among members in all fields, leading to unity. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi is Secretary General.

Who leads it

• Secretary General: Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi (gcc-sg.org)
• Chair of the Supreme Council, 46th session (December 2025): King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain (since 2025-12-03) (gcc-sg.org)
• Presidency of the 47th Supreme Council session: Saudi Arabia (gcc-sg.org)

The UK and the GCC

The UK is not a member of the GCC, which has six member states: the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The pages reviewed on the GCC Secretariat site do not describe a UK role.

Key figures

What it decides

• The Supreme Council sets general policy, approves the Secretariat General's budget, appoints the Secretary-General and can amend the Charter (Articles 7 and 8).
• The Ministerial Council proposes policies, coordinates joint activities and prepares Supreme Council meetings; substantive decisions need unanimity.
• The Supreme Council's December 2025 session approved a GCC Civil Aviation Authority headquartered in the UAE and a general agreement on connecting members to the GCC Railway Project.
• It approved a GCC Security Strategy for Combating Money Laundering (2026 to 2030).
• A Customs Data Exchange Platform is due to begin gradual operation in the second half of 2026.
• The Dispute Settlement Commission, formed case by case, handles disagreements over interpreting or applying the Charter.
• Assistant Secretaries-General cover political and negotiation, economic and developmental, military, security, and legislative and legal affairs.

Timeline

• 1981-02-04: Foreign ministers of the six founding states meet in Riyadh. (gcc-sg.org)
• 1981-05-25: The GCC Charter is signed in Abu Dhabi. (gcc-sg.org)
• 2025-05-14: GCC-US Summit held in Riyadh (as cited by the Secretary General). (gcc-sg.org)
• 2025-05-27: GCC-ASEAN Summit and trilateral summit with China in Kuala Lumpur. (gcc-sg.org)
• 2025-12-03: The 46th Supreme Council session meets in Bahrain. (gcc-sg.org)
• 2026: Customs Data Exchange Platform due to begin gradual operation in the second half of 2026. (gcc-sg.org)

How it is held to account

• Member states contribute equally to the Secretariat General's budget, which the Supreme Council ratifies (Charter, Articles 12 and 18).
• The Supreme Council publishes a final statement after each session.
• The Dispute Settlement Commission reports to the Supreme Council on disputes over the Charter's interpretation or application.
• The Secretary-General is limited to a renewable three-year term set by the Supreme Council.
• The pages reviewed do not describe an independent audit body or an access-to-documents regime.

Records you can check

• About the GCC
  Members, founding, objectives and structure
• GCC organizational structure
  Organs, commissions and Assistant Secretaries-General portfolios
• The GCC Charter (primary law)
  Articles on the Supreme Council, Ministerial Council, Secretary-General and budget
• Final statement, 46th Supreme Council session
  Decisions and positions of December 2025
• GCC economic indicators
  GDP, oil, gas and sovereign wealth figures cited by the Secretary General

Common questions

What is the Gulf Cooperation Council?

The GCC is a regional organisation of six Gulf states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Its charter was signed in Abu Dhabi on 25 May 1981. It aims at coordination, integration and interconnection among members in all fields, leading to their unity.

Who are the GCC member states?

The GCC Secretariat General lists six members: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. They are the six countries that attended the Foreign Ministers' meeting in Riyadh on 4 February 1981. The Secretariat General is headquartered in Riyadh.

Who leads the GCC?

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi is Secretary General, according to the GCC's December 2025 pages. The Supreme Council appoints the Secretary-General for a renewable three-year term. The Supreme Council itself is chaired by a rotating head of state: King Hamad of Bahrain chaired the 46th session, and Saudi Arabia presides over the 47th.

How does the GCC make decisions?

Under the charter, the Supreme Council of heads of state is the highest authority and meets once a year. The Ministerial Council of foreign ministers meets every three months; each member has one vote, and substantive decisions require unanimity while procedural matters pass by majority.

How big is the GCC economy?

The GCC Secretary General said in October 2025 that the six states had a combined GDP at current prices of about US$2.3 trillion in 2024, ranking ninth globally and about 63 per cent of Arab GDP. He also cited sovereign wealth funds with about US$4.8 trillion in assets.

Is the UK a member of the GCC?

No. The GCC has six member states, all in the Gulf: the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The GCC Secretariat General pages reviewed do not describe a UK role, so any UK-GCC arrangements should be checked on UK government pages.

How is the GCC funded?

The charter says member states contribute equally to the Secretariat General's budget. The Supreme Council ratifies that budget following recommendations from the Ministerial Council. The pages reviewed do not give a budget figure, and the Secretariat General's own site is the place to look for one.

Other bodies at level 7

• African Union
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights
• European Central Bank
• European Court of Human Rights
• European Union (incl. Parliament, Commission, Council)
• Mercosur
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

Sources

• About the GCC, read 23 October 2026
• GCC organizational structure, read 23 October 2026
• GCC primary law (Charter), read 23 October 2026
• Final statement of the 46th Supreme Council session, read 23 October 2026
• 46th Session of the GCC Supreme Council convenes, read 23 October 2026
• GCC Secretary General on economic indicators, read 23 October 2026