[9][10] During the Arab Spring in 2012, Saudi Arabia proposed to transform the GCC into a "Gulf Union" with tighter economic, political and military coordination, a move considered to be intended to counterbalance Iranian influence in the region,[11] however objections were raised by other countries.

[15] Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait, alongside the support of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the UAE, played a crucial role in fostering the idea of closer cooperation among the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, laying the groundwork for the formation of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The members' shared vision for regional unity, security, and economic integration led to the official establishment of the GCC in 1981, strengthening the collective power and influence of the Gulf countries.

[18] In 2001, the GCC Supreme Council set the following goals: Oman announced in December 2006 that it would not be able to meet the 2010 target date for a common currency.

The inside of the hexagon shows a map encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, on which the areas of the member countries are colored in brown, borderless.

[26] In January 2015, the common market was also further integrated, covering full equality among GCC citizens to work in government and private sectors, the ability to access social insurance and retirement coverage, real estate ownership rights, capital movement, and access to education, health and other social services, in all member states.

Kuwait's finance minister said the four members are pushing ahead with the monetary union but said some "technical points" need to be cleared.

[28] Plans to introduce a single currency had been drawn up as far back as 2009, however due to the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and political differences, the UAE and Oman withdrew their membership.

As such, GCC airlines do not have unlimited market access rights to member states and compete to capture international air traffic flows.

Over US$200 billion will be invested to develop about 40,000 kilometres (25,000 mi) of rail network across the GCC, according to Oman's Minister of Transport and Communications.

[36] In the banking industry of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), diversity is increasingly recognized as a strategic asset that goes beyond mere corporate social responsibility.

It formulates policies, and makes recommendations to promote cooperation and achieve coordination among the member states, when implementing ongoing projects.

The Secretariat also compiles studies relating to cooperation, coordination, and planning for common actions, and occasionally releases reports regarding the work done by the GCC as a whole, and the implementation of its own decisions.

[50] On 15 December 2009, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia announced the creation of a Monetary Council, to introduce a single currency for the union.

The board of the council, which set a timetable and action plan for establishing a central bank and chose a currency regime, met for the first time on 30 March 2010.

Kuwaiti foreign minister Mohammad Sabah Al-Sabah said on 8 December 2009 that a single currency may take up to ten years to establish.

[citation needed] Amidst the Bahraini uprising, Saudi Arabia and the UAE sent ground troops to Bahrain in order to protect vital infrastructure such as the airport and highway system.

They also pledged other support including operating training facilities for Syrian rebels, in Saudi Arabia,[62] and allowing the use of their airbases by other countries fighting ISIL.

The Council issued directives that all the necessary legal measures be taken, so that Yemen would have the same rights and obligations of GCC member states in those institutions.

[76] The promotion of the hosting of international sports events has also served an economic purpose for the union's countries, leading to investment and development in the region.

[78] There are numerous long-running GCC Championships for individual sports, including: the Gulf Cooperation Council Athletics Championships (first held in 1986; youth section from 2000)[79] sailing,[80] basketball,[81] swimming,[82] tennis,[83] gymnastics (senior and youth levels),[84][85] weightlifting,[86] futsal,[87] snooker,[88] and table tennis.

[89] Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood across the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region, Hamas and radical Islamists in Libya, has led to increasing tensions with other Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

[90][91][92] These tensions came to a head during a March 2014 meeting of the GCC, after which the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors to Qatar.

[93][94][95][96] Some financial economists have interpreted the 2014 Saudi–Qatari rift as a tangible political sign of a growing economic rivalry between oil and natural gas producers, which could "have deep and long-lasting consequences" beyond MENA.

[99] Political researcher Islam Hassan viewed this rift as a continuation of Qatar's foreign policy rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

[citation needed] Later that evening, it was announced that Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt agreed to restore ties with Qatar.

It was co-chaired by Charles Michel and the rotating GCC President Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, under the theme "Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity".

[107] The Human Rights Watch requested the EU to take advantage of the first summit with Gulf leaders, and challenge the involvement of the UAE and other neighbouring states in the Sudan civil war.

The EU director for HRW, Phillippe Dam said the union leaders should "publicly press" the UAE to stop arms supply to the RSF and push the militia to end the war.

Although Morocco is not near the Persian Gulf, the Moroccan foreign minister Taieb Fassi Fihri notes that "geographical distance is no obstacle to a strong relationship".