Saudi king calls for Gulf union

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, called for the formation of a Gulf union in response to growing threats, as rulers of the Arab GCC met on Monday. “I ask today that we move from a phase of cooperation to a phase of union within a single entity,” said the Saudi king, addressing his counterparts at the opening of the annual Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh. He did not elaborate on what form such a union might take, or any proposed steps to create it. “You must realise that our security and stability are threatened and we need to live up to our responsibilities,” said King Abdullah. “Our summit opens in the shadow of challenges that require vigilance and a united stance,” he added. King Abdullah said the security of his country and that of his Arab neighbours was being targeted. “No doubt you all know that we are targeted in our safety and security. That is why we have to take responsibility,” he said. He also suggested that the GCC needed to adapt to the new circumstances in the Middle East following the uprisings that swept some Arab countries earlier this year. “We learnt from history and experience ot to stand still when faced with our reality,” the king said. “Whoever does that will end up at the back of the caravan trail and will be lost... That is something we will not accept for the sake of our countries, our people, our stability and our security. That is why I ask of you today to move beyond the stage of cooperation and into the stage of unity in a single entity,” he added. The GCC summit comes as the embattled regime of Syria, rocked by a nine-month uprising the UN estimates has killed at least 5,000 people, agreed to an Arab League proposal to send observers to the country. In a clear reference to Syria, the Saudi king urged the Gulf bloc to help their “Arab brothers so that the blood stops flowing and to guard against the risks of foreign intervention”. In addition to Syria, the Gulf leaders will discuss the situation in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, where popular uprisings have already unseated entrenched dictators this year. The GCC — comprising of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates — was formed in 1981 as a security alliance to counter post-revolution Iran.