Their Majesties and Highnesses, the Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, convened the 46th Session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, today, Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at Al Sakhir Palace in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The session was chaired by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain - Chairman of the current session of the GCC Supreme Council, with the participation of His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC.
At the beginning of his address, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General extended his sincerest congratulations and blessings to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on his chairmanship of this blessed 46th Session of the esteemed Supreme Council.
He expressed optimism for the dawning of its light, rejoicing in its wisdom, and pinning high hopes on its vision to be a summit of goodness, blessing, integration, unity, closeness, and harmony, embodying the well-known traits of our leaders—unwavering determination and sincerity that yields achievements and preserves gains
His Excellency the GCC Secretary General also extended his sincerest congratulations and highest praise to His Highness Shaikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, for the firm wisdom, insightful vision, and sincere keenness to support the march of joint Gulf action that characterised His Highness’s presidency of the 45th Session.
He further praised the generous efforts and tireless work undertaken by the government of the State of Kuwait to elevate the GCC's blessed march and to affirm the aspirations of "our peoples for unity of ranks and clarity of purpose."
"This year we witnessed two painful incidents that demonstrated to the entire world that the Gulf’s destiny is one, that Gulf's security is one, and that our voice, when united, prevails, and if divided, weakens. These two incidents proved that what unites our states is not merely neighbourhood, but decision, home, and sanctity, and that no matter how hard the struggle, it will not dampen our resolve nor loosen the bonds of our unity," His Excellency said, adding: "The first incident was the Iranian missile attacks that targeted the State of Qatar, constituting a rejected aggression, a clear violation of its sovereignty, airspace, and the principles of good neighbourliness, and a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The second incident was the brutal Israeli aggression on the State of Qatar during Qatari mediation efforts to sow the seeds of peace in Gaza, which led to the martyrdom of the hero Badr Al Dosari, the loss of civilian lives, and the endangerment of residents and diplomats in a residential area crowded with schools and diplomatic missions. This represented a blatant assault on international efforts aimed at a ceasefire and the release of hostages."
Furthermore, His Excellency pointed out that adversity reveals true character and unveils the essence of brotherhood.
"The GCC states rose in unison to back the State of Qatar and support its security and sovereignty. The Council affirmed that the security of Qatar is an integral part of the security of all Council states and that any threat to one Gulf state is a direct threat to all Council states," His Excellency stated.
Furthermore, His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi pointed out that the GCC states' positions on the Palestinian cause remain steadfast and unwavering, reflecting the enduring values that guide their stance, stressing that the GCC states continue to emphasise the centrality of this issue, the necessity of ending the occupation, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Moreover, His Excellency commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's leading role in international efforts to implement the two-state solution.
"We welcome the outcomes of the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine held in New York in September 2025, which included explicit support for the recognition of the State of Palestine," His Excellency said.
He also welcomed the outcomes of the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit held on October 14, 2025, and the agreement signed by Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and the United States to begin implementing the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
His Excellency further underscored the significance of all parties adhering to the ceasefire agreement and expressed appreciation for the humanitarian and relief assistance provided by the GCC states to support the Palestinian people.
Besides, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General affirmed in his speech that the wise policies of the GCC states have yielded a successful model of joint regional action, combining political stability, economic prosperity and security cooperation, underlining that this has made the GCC a shining beacon for regional and international partnerships.
In this context, His Excellency highlighted the most significant achievements during 2025, including international partnerships, the success of the GCC-US Summit held in Riyadh on May 14, 2025, the convening of the GCC-ASEAN Summit and the trilateral summit with China on May 27, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the holding of 13 joint ministerial meetings with Arab and friendly countries and international groups, and the General Secretariat's continued follow-up on the implementation of memoranda of understanding and action plans with countries and international organisations.
He also highlighted military cooperation, including the commencement of implementing the decisions and recommendations of the extraordinary session of the Joint Defence Council, convened in accordance with the guidance of Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC states, in light of the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar; the execution of numerous joint military exercises, including the ongoing "Ittihad 25" exercise for the Gulf naval forces; and the continuation of meetings of the military committees and specialised bodies to enhance joint deterrence capabilities.
His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi further outlined economic integration and development, including the establishment of the Gulf Civil Aviation Authority, the adoption of amendments to certain articles of the Unified Agreement on Value Added Tax and Excise Tax, the launch of the Gulf Industrial Platform, the commencement of the Gulf Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, progress on the Customs Union project through the operation of the Customs Data Exchange Platform (2026), strengthening the Gulf Common Market, regulating trade in services, mechanisms for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and the signing of a statement to begin free trade negotiations with Malaysia.
Additionally, he noted advances in legislative and legal affairs, including the issuance of a legislative drafting guide for unified regulations, promoting integrity through Gulf guides on combating corruption, the adoption of several resolutions for the Gulf Group at the Human Rights Council, and the adoption of Gulf weeks for financial and administrative oversight and for protecting the religious and moral values of the family. His Excellency also addressed security affairs, including the adoption of the Gulf Security Strategy for Combating Money Laundering Crimes 2026–2030, preparations for the Gulf/Global Security Conference 2027 in the United Arab Emirates, preparations for the tactical exercise (Arabian Gulf Security 4) in the State of Qatar, and preparations for the bilateral implementation of the Single Point project for air travel among the member states, once they are ready.
His Excellency the Secretary General concluded his remarks by stating that the Ministerial Council, during its preparatory meeting, submitted to Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC states its findings and recommendations, praying to Allah the Almighty to bless the work of this summit, to grant it success, and to bless its endeavours with His divine guidance and the wise and sound directives of Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the Council, and to perpetuate the blessings of security, safety, stability and prosperity upon our nations.