GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi announced Monday that the region is experiencing unprecedented escalation requiring concerted regional and international efforts to enhance security and stability, and proposed six priorities for developing relations with Europe towards true integration.

This meeting comes amid rising regional tensions and common security challenges between the two sides.

Al-Budaiwi was speaking during his participation in the 'Regional Security Forum' held in Brussels, which discussed enhancing security and strategic cooperation between the Gulf states and the European Union, and efforts to consolidate the foundations of global security and peace.

Participating in the forum on behalf of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was his deputy, Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji, in the presence of Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, Bahrain's Foreign Minister and current chairman of the GCC Ministerial Council, and Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji shaking hands with Kaja Kallas during his attendance at the Regional Security Forum in Brussels (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

In his speech, Al-Budaiwi stressed the importance of the forum's convening at a time when Iran continues to choose escalation over diplomacy, affirming that the Gulf states support dialogue and look forward to honest consultation with Europeans to deal with dangerous Iranian behavior.

The GCC Secretary-General indicated that the time has come for the Gulf-European strategic partnership to take a new path, based on the foundation laid in 1988, especially in light of recent months' challenges.

Al-Budaiwi stated that 'Iranian attacks on oil facilities in Gulf states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have led to a global slowdown, as the International Monetary Fund lowered its global growth forecast for 2026 to 3.1 percent.'

The Secretary-General added that 'the Fund clarified that this reduction is due to war and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil normally passes, and its effects extended across Europe, which experienced an energy shock for the second time in four years.'

The Regional Security Forum discussed enhancing security and strategic cooperation between Gulf states and the European Union (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Al-Budaiwi explained that this regional shock turned into a global shock, impacting the economies of the Gulf and Europe, stressing that the new threats generated by the war necessitate re-strengthening the relationship between the two sides, allowing for a joint rather than unilateral response.

The Secretary-General proposed six priorities to enhance Gulf-European relations: coordinated political and diplomatic action, cooperation in the fields of 'regional security and energy,' interconnection by accelerating work on trade corridors and alternative routes, drawing lessons from the current crisis, and people-to-people communication by accelerating visa-free travel as a practical foundation for connectivity.

Al-Budaiwi concluded his speech by noting that the partnership with Europe must extend beyond security to true integration, 'a partnership that makes our people safer and our economies more resilient and stable.'

The statements indicate that the region faces unprecedented security challenges requiring international coordination, especially with the effects of the Strait of Hormuz closure on the global economy. The upcoming period is expected to witness more dialogue between the Gulf and Europe to confront these common threats.