When six countries on the Arabian Gulf joined hands to form the Gulf Cooperation Council in May 1981, collective security concerns, fuelled by the Iran-Iraq war, drove the union.
Three decades on, unrest is again on the region's doorstep. With it has come a renewed effort to expand and broaden regional Arab cooperation.
The GCC's confirmation that it has "welcomed a request by Jordan to join the group", and called on "Morocco to enter into negotiations" to do the same, is exciting - and it raises new questions. GCC members have played a muscular role in foreign policy in recent months, to varying degrees in Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, but economic issues have also come to the fore with a planned customs union. How would new members, including Morocco on the other side of North Africa, participate in these policies?
Given the events of this Arab Spring and the hostile rhetoric of Iran, it is understandable that Gulf states want to present a united front with their allies. With Jordan and Morocco in the fold, all eight of the region's Arab monarchies would be united in a single umbrella group.
Jordan's bid is easy to understand, with its shared borders and historic ties to Saudi Arabia. In terms of geography, Morocco is a more surprising choice, but its monarchy has also strong ties to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other GCC members.
Potential economic benefits can be seen on both sides of the equation. Jordan in particular could benefit from GCC development funds, while the six original GCC countries could gain broader access to markets and even benefit from Jordan's privileged trading status with Europe. There should be a note of warning as well, with the world watching the European Union's travails as members struggle with their debts.
But more details will be needed to determine whether expansion is in the interest of the region and the UAE. How would the current bloc deal with a flood of new migrants? Would membership be tiered? How would an expanded council affect the individual projects of political reform underway in each country? For now, there are more questions than answers.
These are early days, and many have been taken by surprise with these initial steps. The GCC can do much to alleviate concerns by agreeing on a clear manifesto of shared concerns and policies. That will be the gauge of a GCC that is a benefit to all.
