Cooperation Council

Name

Cooperation Council

Legal name

General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council

Website

https://gcc-sg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intergovernmental Regional Organization

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), International Affairs (928120), National Security (928110), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (BPADAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC), International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAC)

Keywords

• Regional intergovernmental cooperation
• Free trade agreements
• Collective security coordination
• Economic policy harmonization
• Diplomatic representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Cooperation Council (Gulf Cooperation Council) is an intergovernmental regional organization founded in 1981 that coordinates economic, political, and security policies among its six Arab Gulf member states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It negotiates collective trade agreements with global partners, coordinates collective defense responses, and harmonizes legislation across the bloc. Its principal digital asset is the GCC Unified Digital Legal Platform, a centralized repository of 24,700+ legislative documents searchable across member states.

Product overview

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) operates as a regional intergovernmental organization comprising six member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates). The GCC's primary digital product offering is its Unified Digital Legal Platform, which consolidates legislative documents from all member states into a searchable central repository. The organization's General Secretariat website also provides information about council activities, diplomatic missions, memorandums of understanding, and international organization memberships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• First G7 trade agreement: UK-GCC FTA projected to add £3.7 billion annually to British economy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United KingdomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer finalized a landmark free trade agreement with the GCC on 20 May 2026, representing the first such deal between a G7 nation and the six-member Gulf bloc. The four-year negotiation concluded with projections of £3.7 billion in annual economic gains for Britain, cutting 93% (£580 million) in yearly tariffs on UK exports to the GCC and building on a £53 billion bilateral trade relationship. The deal includes unprecedented GCC commitments on cross-border financial data protection.
• International Maritime OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2026The IMO Legal Committee adopted a resolution at its 113th session that condemned Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, attacks on vessels, threats against GCC member states and Jordan, sea mine threats, and tolls imposed on transiting ships. GCC Secretary-General commended the UAE for its role in preparing the resolution.
• UkraineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Gulf states are pursuing arms deals and military partnerships including agreements with Ukraine for drone defense systems as part of efforts to 'Iran-proof' their economies and security following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
• World Health OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2026The World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a resolution submitted by GCC member states and Jordan, condemning Iran's attacks on civilians and critical civilian infrastructure including healthcare facilities. The resolution establishes assessment and reporting mechanisms to address public health consequences.
• CyprusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi received Cyprus Ambassador Charis Moritsis to discuss regional security concerns and Iranian aggressions targeting GCC states. Al-Budaiwi praised Cyprus's efforts during its EU presidency to strengthen dialogue and partnership between GCC and EU.
• European UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026EU and GCC leaders met in Brussels to jointly condemn Iran's missile and drone strikes on Gulf countries, calling the attacks unjustifiable and urging Iran to cease. France, the UK, and Italy announced plans to deploy naval assets and air defence systems to Cyprus to support Gulf allies. The meeting addressed energy prices, migration, and terrorism concerns.
• IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026India and the GCC formally launched negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement in New Delhi, with bilateral trade reaching $178.56 billion in FY 2024-25, accounting for 15.42% of India's global trade. The agreement aims to facilitate increased investment, mobility of people, and expanded trade across sectors including food processing, infrastructure, petrochemicals, and ICT.
• ItalyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2025Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the 46th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Bahrain to strengthen Italy's regional presence and relations with Gulf countries. The visit followed Italy's agreements and collaborations with Gulf states in investment, energy, infrastructure, and security.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organization of 10 Southeast Asian states coordinating economic integration, security, and diplomatic positioning. Its consensus-based governance, collective trade negotiations, and diplomatic communiqués provide a direct operational analogue to the GCC.
• European Union: The EU is the most comparable regional intergovernmental/economic bloc — a multilateral body negotiating collective trade agreements, coordinating security, and harmonizing legislation across sovereign member states. The GCC's emerging FTAs (UK, India) and unified legal platform closely mirror the EU's integration model.
• Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): The OIC is an international intergovernmental organization of 57 Islamic states, including all GCC members. It coordinates collective diplomatic positions on conflicts (e.g., the WHO civilian-protection resolution) and serves as a higher-level umbrella for the GCC's multilateral engagement.
• Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU): The EAEU is a regional economic union of post-Soviet states that negotiates trade agreements, harmonizes regulation, and coordinates economic policy. Like the GCC, it balances economic integration with member-state sovereignty and pursues external FTAs as a bloc.
• African Union: The AU is a regional intergovernmental organization of African member states coordinating political, economic, and security policies. Like the GCC, it issues collective positions on conflicts, negotiates as a bloc in international fora, and runs a permanent General Secretariat.
• Nordic Council: The Nordic Council is a regional intergovernmental forum of Nordic states coordinating legislation, economic policy, and security. While smaller and less hydrocarbon-dependent, it is a useful operational analogue for the GCC's emerging unified-legal-platform and harmonization ambitions.
• Mercosur: Mercosur is a regional trade and economic bloc of South American states that negotiates collective FTAs and coordinates economic policy. Its consensus-driven model and trade-agreement ambitions closely parallel the GCC's collective-bloc negotiation strategy.
• Arab League: The Arab League is a broader regional intergovernmental body of 22 Arab states including all six GCC members. It coordinates political positions, economic agreements, and security responses across the Arab world, and the GCC operates as a cohesive sub-bloc within it.

Emerging players

• African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat: AfCFTA is a newer continental-scale trade agreement with a coordinating secretariat, focused on tariff elimination and regulatory harmonization. It mirrors the GCC's ambition to act as a single negotiating entity in trade deals, particularly relevant given the GCC's FTA push with the UK and India.

Regional players

• Pacific Islands Forum: The Pacific Islands Forum is a regional intergovernmental organization of Pacific states coordinating policy on security, economic resilience, and geopolitical engagement (e.g., with the US, China, Australia). Its collective diplomacy on regional security threats is structurally similar to GCC coordination vis-à-vis Iran.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GCCSG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3506063

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Cooperation Council