Regional states must show unity to counter Iran's regional interference, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at the GCC summit on Tuesday.
The call came amid signs that a years-long rift with Qatar had been resolved.
The Saudi crown prince and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim exchanged a warm embrace on the tarmac at Al Ula airport after the Qatari delegation arrived for the 41st Gulf Co-operation Council summit.
Qatar's emir is attending the summit for the first time since 2017, when fellow bloc members Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, along with Egypt, cut off ties over Doha's support for extremist groups.
"We are today in need of co-operation in our efforts, in the face of challenges in our region – especially the nuclear and ballistic missiles programme in Iran, which aims to shake up the stability of the region," Prince Mohammed said in the opening address.
“We need to realise the aims that the GCC is based on, the continued journey in all fields,” he said.
He thanked the gathered leaders for their "bold steps" in attending the summit.
Referring to the summit statement signed by all six GCC leaders, Prince Mohammed said: "The Al Ula Accord emphasises Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability as well as the strengthening of friendship and brotherhood between our countries and people."
The contents of the accord were not immediately made public.
Speaking after Prince Salman, Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah said the Al Ula Accord "can be called the solidarity agreement".
"We congratulate everyone on the historic achievement that has been reached here at the summit," he said.
Sheikh Nawaf was attending his first summit as Kuwaiti emir after succeeding his brother Sheikh Sabah, who died in September.
Prince Mohammed said the summit would be named after Sheikh Sabah and Sultan Qaboos of Oman, who died in January last year.
"This year, the GCC summit is missing two great leaders who played a major role in mediating talks between member states, the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah and the late Sultan Qaboos," Prince Mohammed said in his speech.
The summit was held amid expectations that the rift with Qatar would be resolved following Saudi Arabia's announcement on Monday evening that it was reopening land, sea and air borders with its neighbour, which had been closed since 2017.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry also attended the summit.
“Egypt appreciates and values every sincere effort made to achieve reconciliation between the four nations [Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt] and Qatar, especially the efforts of the brotherly state of Kuwait over the past years,” said the Foreign Ministry statement.
Honeymoonish
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
More from Aya Iskandarani
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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