Doha: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) celebrated its 44th anniversary with reflections on its founding and ongoing contributions to regional unity and development. On May 25, 44 years ago, the first Gulf summit convened in Abu Dhabi, marking the establishment of the GCC as a regional entity aimed at achieving coordination, integration, and interconnection among member states across various sectors.
According to Qatar News Agency, the GCC's journey has been sustained by the support and guidance of the leaders of its six member countries. Over the years, it has evolved into a strong institution with solid foundations, reflecting the shared aspirations and ambitions of the Gulf nations and their people. The GCC continues to focus on human development and crisis management while enhancing its regional and international stature and championing just causes.
The Peninsula newspaper highlighted the completion of the unified identity card project, known as the smart card, which has facilitated the movement of citizens between member states. Another significant achievement is the electricity interconnection project among GCC countries, which reduces the reserve requirement in each nation, provides mutual coverage during emergencies, and lowers electricity production costs.
In a related development, Al-Arab newspaper celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Qatar News Agency (QNA), recognizing its evolution into a professional media platform with a global reach. Since its inception on May 25, 1975, QNA has distinguished itself through accurate and credible news, strengthening Qatar's presence on the Gulf, Arab, and international stages. The agency has adapted to the rapidly changing media landscape, achieving a qualitative leap in news reporting by advancing its technical tools and editorial content.
On another note, Al-Watan newspaper condemned the recent storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem by settlers, under the protection of Israeli occupation police. This incident followed a grave attack by occupation forces in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of nine children from a single family. The paper reported that these events contribute to the ongoing genocide war against Palestinians, with 53,939 martyrs and 122,797 injuries documented since October 7, 2023.
Al-Watan emphasized the need for the international community to take effective action to halt these violations and crimes. It called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, urging Israel to comply with international consensus to ensure peace and security in the Middle East.