Calls for Arab and Gulf unity have often been viewed as mere rhetoric, but amid the oratory, the six states of the oil-rich Gulf Co-operation Council are moving towards closer economic co-operation and deeper integration.
The road is often bumpy, beset by regional politics. Oman and, more importantly, the United Arab Emirates have opted out of a long-awaited currency union . Diplomatic spats, including a hushed-up naval skirmish between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, continue to blight relations.
Yet since the GCC was established in 1981, partially as a response to the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq war, vital steps have been taken towards closer economic ties.
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