The GCC Supreme Council praised in the final communique of the 46th GCC Summit hosted by Bahrain yesterday the dedicated efforts of the Amir of Kuwait Shaikh Meshal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah and his government during Kuwait’s presidency of the previous summit.
The council congratulated His Majesty King Hamad on taking over the presidency of the 46th session, wishing Bahrain every success in fostering the GCC march across all fields.
The council welcomed Bahrain’s initiative of proposing the Government Action Plan during its presidency of the session in 2026, and the ambitious initiatives and projects it includes, which would contribute to advancing joint GCC work and enhancing co-operation, integration and co-ordination among the member states.
The council directed the Ministerial Council to refer the proposal to the member states for study in accordance with their established procedures, and to provide the Secretariat General with their views on the matter.
The Supreme Council stressed that the security of the GCC countries is indivisible, and that any aggression against any one of them is an aggression against all, in accordance with the GCC Charter and the Joint Defence Agreement.
It reaffirmed what was stated in the communiqué of its extraordinary session and in the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit, held in Doha on September 15.
The council reviewed the Secretariat General’s report on the progress made in implementing the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to strengthen joint GCC work, which was approved by the GCC Supreme Council at its 36th session in December 2015.
The council affirmed the full implementation of the vision, including completing the requirements for economic unity and the joint defence and security systems; co-ordinating positions to enhance the solidarity and stability of the GCC member states; safeguarding their interests; avoiding regional and international conflicts; and meeting the citizens’ aspirations.
The council directed the authorities, ministerial councils and technical committees as well as the Secretariat General to double their efforts to complete the remaining steps toward implement King Salman’s vision, according to a well-defined timeline and close follow-up.
The council tasked the Secretariat General with submitting a detailed report on this matter to the next session.
The council reviewed progress of consultations regarding the implementation of its decision at the 33rd session on the proposal of the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to move from the co-operation phase to union.
It directed the continuation of efforts toward this transition, and assigned the Ministerial Council and the head of the specialised commission to complete the necessary procedures and submit a report on the outcomes to the next session.
The council reaffirmed its keenness to maintain the strength and cohesion of the GCC, the unity of its members, and to achieve further co-ordination, integration and interconnection in all fields.
The council reviewed developments related to the GCC economic unity and approved the gradual activation of the customs data exchange platform during the second half of 2026.
It tasked the relevant ministerial committees with completing the remaining requirements of the customs union and submitting an executive action plan and timeline as soon as possible.
Regarding the GCC Common Market, the council emphasised establishing mechanisms to follow up on the cross-border supply of services trade regulations among member states, measure their economic and social impact periodically, and determine mechanisms for mutual recognition of professional qualifications and service licences between member states.
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