The latest news and top stories on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a Riyadh-based intergovernmental political and economic union. The GCC was established in 1981 to foster cooperation, integration and unity among its six Arab member states in the Persian Gulf. Its primary mission encompasses economic integration, including a common market and customs union, alongside significant security and military coordination, notably the Peninsula Shield Force. The GCC also focuses on political alignment, social, cultural and administrative affairs and contributes to international development.