Kuwait Times, Sunday, Dec 27, 2020 | Jamadi Al Awwal 12, 1442
Saudi King requests formal invitations to GCC Summit
Saudi Arabia:
The General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of
the Gulf (GCC) announced yesterday that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested
from GCC Secretary General, Dr Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, to invite their Majesties
and Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC states to attend the 41st GCC Summit
being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021.
Dr Hajraf, said: “I had the honor today to personally deliver King Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud’s invitation to the President of the United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to attend the 41st GCC Summit taking place in
Riyadh on January 5, 2021. The invitation was received by the Vice-President of
the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum today in Dubai.”
Dr Hajraf said: “The commitment by Gulf leaders to hold the summit on an annual
basis, and especially in these exceptional times, is a testament to the strength
of the GCC, to their belief in their duty to the people of the Gulf, and their
devotion to increasing cooperation and integration among member countries.
Today, as the GCC enters its fifth decade with a global pandemic in the
backdrop, the institution’s mission to facilitate trade and economic integration
among member states is more relevant than at any time in its history.
The GCC remains focused on meeting the ambitions of the Gulf people, increasing
integration, interconnectedness, and trade among member states and the
international community. I am grateful to their Majesties and Highnesses, the
leaders of the GCC states, for their tireless efforts to further strengthen Gulf
cooperation.”
The GCC has held an annual meeting of the Supreme Council to discuss
coordination, integration, and interconnection between the member States and
their citizens in economic development, commerce, education, and culture. The
GCC’s focus today is on meeting the ambitions of the region’s young and digital
population and enabling them to drive the region forward while remembering their
shared heritage.