Bahraini relations, notably the economic relations, he said "these are fraternal, abiding, persistent and enduring ties." "Moreover, Saudi Arabia is the top trading partner of Bahrain. There are a number of gigantic joint projects that exist in various domains," he said. Sheikh Al-Khalifa expressed optimism that the Gulf common market would open up new horizons for further economic rapprochement and guarantee bright opportunities for the two countries. On false assumptions that the Gulf states are lagging behind economically and politically, and that these states are solely depended on oil revenues, Sheikh Al-Khalifa said "the GCC states, including Bahrain, have decided to go ahead on the path of progress for attaining a comprehensive development." "Of course, the GCC states have benefited from the oil revenues, but to ensure a brighter future for the new generations, the officials of these countries have been doing their best to look for alternatives and other options and to diversify the sources of income as well as bring about the development of the human resources at political, economic, educational, health and housing domains," he said. The GCC is made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
