All eyes on January 5 GCC summit

The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has received an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

The much-awaited GCC summit, in the backdrop of the Covid pandemic, new geopolitical alliances and efforts to resolve the Qatar dispute, will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 5.

The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has received an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, to attend the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, received the invite on Sheikh Khalifa’s behalf from GCC Secretary-General Dr Nayef Falah Al Hajraf in Dubai on Saturday.

“I had the honour today to personally deliver King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s invitation to the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed,” Dr Al 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,” he said.

“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, inter-connectivity, and trade among member states and the international community.”