Gulf Cooperation Council

Multilateral in force

INTRODUCTION

Established on 25 May 1981, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf—commonly known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—is a regional, intergovernmental political and economic union comprising six hydrocarbon-rich states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Diplomatic efforts to formally establish the GCC began in the early 1970s and culminated in the creation of the GCC Charter in 1981, which highlighted the GCC states' shared heritage.

In the same year, the GCC Unified Economic Agreement, which came into effect in 1983, was adopted. Article 8 set out the objective for Member States to agree on the executive principles to ensure equal treatment for nationals of the six countries in the fields of freedom of movement, work and residence, as well as freedom to engage in economic activity.

Over the next two decades, the Supreme Council, the GCC's highest authority under Article 8 of the 1981 Charter, adopted several Decisions on the free movement of people. The legal value of these Decisions is unclear under the 1981 Charter. They are available only in Arabic and are not coded in this project. A good summary of such Decisions can be found here (pp. 105-120).

On 31 December 2001, the GCC states ratified the Economic Agreement. The Agreement, which came into force on 1 January 2003, guarantees intra-regional freedom of movement and residence and full equality of rights for all GCC citizens within GCC territories, including access to the labour market (both public and private sectors), healthcare, education, pensions, social security, and participation in all professions, crafts, and economic, investment, and service activities (Article 3). However, Article 3 allowed Member States an undefined period to complete the implementation rules necessary to carry this out and to establish the Gulf Common Market.

In December 2002, the Supreme Council approved a timeline for completing the implementation of the Gulf Common Market by the end of 2007. In its December 2007 Doha Declaration, the Supreme Council announced the launch of the Gulf Common Market on 1 January 2008. The Freemove project codes this regime from that date.

MEMBER STATES

BAHRAIN
KUWAIT
OMAN
QATAR
SAUDI ARABIA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

HEADQUARTERS

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

DATE OF CREATION

25 May 1981.

TIMELINE

1981	Adoption of the Charter of the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (with Rules of Procedures of the Supreme Council, of the Ministerial Council and of the Commis sion for Settlement of Disputes). Concluded at Abu Dhabi on 25 May 1981.
1981	Adoption of the Unified Economic Agreement between the Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on 11 November. Entered into force on 1 December 1981.
2001	Adoption of the Economic Agreement Between the Gulf Cooperation Council States on 31 December, superseeding the 1981 agreement.
2007	Adoption of the Doha Declaration on the establishment of the Gulf Common Market on 4 December.

KEY LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Unified Economic Agreement between the Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, 11 November 1981.

The Economic Agreement Between the Gulf Cooperation Council States, 31 December 2001.

Supreme Council, Declaration on the establishment of the Gulf Common Market, Doha, 4 December 2007 (English unofficial translation).

ADDITIONAL LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Charter of the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (with Rules of Procedures of the Supreme Council, of the Ministerial Council and of the Commission for Settlement of Disputes). Concluded at Abu Dhabi on 25 May 1981.