The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, stressed that the unprecedented escalation in the region requires concerted regional and international efforts to enhance security and stability. This came during his participation today in the third Regional Security Forum between the GCC and the European Union, held in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

Albudaiwi noted in his speech that the convening of the forum at this time carries great significance in light of the escalation the region is witnessing, pointing out that Iran continues to escalate instead of following diplomacy and dialogue.

He added that the GCC countries support the path of dialogue and diplomacy, and seek to enhance consultation and coordination with the European side to deal with Iranian behavior that threatens the region's security and stability.

Impact of Iranian escalation on the global economy

The Secretary-General pointed out that Iranian attacks on oil facilities in GCC countries and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz resulted in a slowdown of the global economy, as the International Monetary Fund lowered its global growth forecast for 2026 to 3.1%. He explained that the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz had a direct impact on Europe, which suffered a second energy shock in four years.

Enhancing GCC-European partnership

In the same context, Albudaiwi stressed the need for the strategic partnership between the Gulf and Europe to take a new path, especially in light of recent challenges. He outlined six priorities to enhance Gulf-European relations, including:

Coordinated political and diplomatic action

Cooperation in the field of regional security

Enhancing connectivity by accelerating work on trade corridors and alternative routes

Cooperation in the energy field

Drawing lessons from the current crisis

Enhancing people-to-people communication and accelerating visa waiver procedures

Albudaiwi concluded his speech by emphasizing that the partnership with Europe must go beyond the security aspect towards a real integration that contributes to enhancing the security of peoples, raising the resilience of economies, and supporting shared stability.