Anticipation Surrounds the 44th Gulf Summit in Doha

Many outstanding achievements were highlighted in the closing statement of the summit. Which summit is Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council "Jassim Al-Budaiwi" referring to?

The Gulf summit taking place in Doha on Tuesday. 

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait will gather in Doha for the 44th summit. 

This summit attracts attention for its representation level and exceptional circumstances.

What are the circumstances? Firstly, in terms of location, this will be the first time the summit is held in Doha since the severing of ties between Qatar and the Gulf states in 2017.

Doha has broken the tradition of Riyadh hosting consecutive Gulf summits after the internal system of the Gulf Cooperation Council was modified. 

The modification allowed the hosting country to hold the summit in its headquarters, which, in this case, is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Secondly, concerning the issues to be addressed.

The war in Gaza will have a significant share in this summit, especially since Qatar plays a crucial role in mediating ceasefire, hostage release, and delivering aid to the Gaza Strip.

Regarding regional issues, the focus will be on combating drugs, and the Unified Gulf Tourist Visa will top the agenda, allowing Gulf citizens and visa holders to move freely between GCC countries.

Thirdly, in terms of attendance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be present in Qatar, will participate in the Gulf summit as a guest. 

According to some observers, his presence indicates a strengthening of relations between the two sides after years of tension, particularly between Ankara on one side and Riyadh and Abu Dhabi on the other. 

The improvement in relations has contributed to enhancing cooperation between Turkey and the Gulf countries.