A number of Saudi academics say they are optimistic about the ability of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders, who have gathered here for the 32nd GCC Summit, to tackle the political and economic challenges facing the region and the Arab world. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Monday, they said that all the GCC governments have the support of their people in dealing with internal or external security and other threats. Dr. Ali Bin Showail Al-Qerni, Chairman of the Saudi Society for Media and Communications, said the GCC Supreme Council is a regional and international powerhouse because of the leadership at its helm. “Those who have been monitoring the council's political activity can clearly see its influence within the Arab League and other international organizations.” Dr. Ali Bin Dabkl Al-Enezi, a professor of Mass Media at King Saud University in Riyadh, said the Supreme Council has never faced such regional developments in the history of its existence. He cited the changes taking place in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen. He also singled out the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, which he argued will see GCC relations “crystalize” with that country. He called on GCC leaders to take a firm stand in the face of these developments, in particular the crisis in Yemen and the Iranian nuclear “dossier”, which may serve as an excuse for intervention in the internal affairs of countries in the region. He said GCC leaders will likely also come up with plans to protect their economies from the global financial crisis. Al-Enezi hoped that the summit will help to achieve political and socioeconomic union. He said the GCC has significant potential because it has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$898 billion, with a population of 38.6 million.
