Will the GCC Withdraw From the Arab League?
Abdullah Al-Khamis, a Kuwaiti political journalist, proposes as an alternative an Arab coordination council consisting of the Gulf states, Jordan, Morocco, and Syria.
Ali Hussain/The Media Line
The participation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and their continued membership in the Arab League have become a subject of questions and speculation, especially after the Arab League came under fire following the Israeli-American-Iranian conflict and the Iranian attacks on the Gulf states and Jordan.
Gulf observers, social media users, and those close to decision-making circles believe that the Arab League has not taken at least “decisive stances” or issued direct statements condemning the Iranian attacks on the Gulf states. They argue that the organization follows Egypt’s policy rather than the Arab consensus, given that its headquarters are in Egypt and most of its secretaries-general are former Egyptian officials.
Since the start of the Iranian attacks on the Gulf states and Jordan, the Arab League has issued several statements condemning these attacks. The first, issued on February 28, “condemned these attacks and affirmed its full solidarity with the Arab states in confronting them and its support for any measures they take to defend themselves and protect their people,”
The Arab League Ministerial Council held an emergency meeting via video conference on March 8, 2026, in which it explicitly condemned the targeting of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Arab states that had been subjected to Iranian attacks, according to the statement issued after the meeting.
Despite the statements issued by the Arab League, whose current session is chaired by the United Arab Emirates, the storm was sparked by a statement made by Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, to the media on March 8, 2026, in which he said that the Iranian escalation against civilian targets in the Gulf was a “huge mistake.”
Aboul Gheit also stated that “no member of the Arab League has asked us to sever relations with Iran.”
This media statement by the Secretary-General of the Arab League drew strong reactions from officials, media figures, and those close to the authorities in the Gulf states, who felt that the Arab League was not playing any real role in containing the crisis.
Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti foreign minister, stated in his address to the Arab League meeting held on March 29, 2026, that “successive experiences have revealed the limited effectiveness of the joint Arab action system within the framework of the Arab League, which necessitates a frank and responsible review. Despite its symbolic status, the Arab League has proven a clear inability to keep pace with rapidly evolving challenges and to play an effective role in safeguarding Arab security.”
Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, deputy chief of police and public security in Dubai, known for his active engagement and sharp political opinions on his official X account, posted on March 24, 2026, “The Gulf States’ announcement of their withdrawal from the Arab League is not a true Arab League.”
Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, known for his close ties to the Gulf rulers, tweeted on March 31, 2026, “The Gulf States are considering withdrawing from the Arab League.”
Dr. Khaled Al-Subaie, who is the head of the Khaled Center for Media Studies and Consultations in Saudi Arabia and is also close to Saudi decision-making circles, on his official X account on April 4, 2026, called for “the Gulf states to refuse to attend the meetings of the League of Arab States, not to recognize it and its decisions, and to close its offices in these countries.” He also called for “not paying any amounts into the budget of the League of Arab States.”
Qasim Sultan, a Saudi political analyst, told The Media Line, “The role of the Arab League has been weakening over time, and I believe this is due to the weakness of successive secretaries-general. Most of them are former Egyptian officials, over 70 years old. Therefore, this position, despite its importance, has become a place for some former Egyptian officials to retire, profit, and gain.”
“I believe it is necessary to move the headquarters of the Arab League from Egypt to Riyadh, and the established practice of the Secretary-General being Egyptian should not be changed, as it is not exclusive to any one country,” he added.
“Its charter should also be amended to make its decisions more binding on Arab states, to expedite its decision-making process, and to work more effectively on joint coordination, as is the case in the European Union, rather than functioning as a forum that accomplishes virtually nothing,” Sultan concluded.
Abdullah Al-Khamis, a Kuwaiti political journalist, told The Media Line, “The Gulf states pay the majority of the Arab League’s budget, as previously announced at Arab League meetings.” He criticized the League for not playing a role during the Iranian attacks on the Gulf states, and its “weak” reactions: “It has also failed to engage in any international coordination, contenting itself with a few feeble statements.”
“I believe that an Arab coordination council should be formed, a better alternative to this League. This council should consist of the Gulf states, Jordan, Morocco, and Syria. These countries largely agree on their decisions and are also influential in international affairs,” he added.
Al-Khamis further criticized the Arab League as ineffective: “This Arab League was stillborn. It has never taken any decisive action throughout its history, nor has it been able to be influential in international decisions. It has not taken any real action, whether economic, political, or in negotiations with any of the other major blocs.”
Former Iraqi Army General Amin Abdul Aziz told The Media Line, “What needs to be activated first in the Arab League is military unity.” He lamented the lack of military exercises and coordination. “Therefore, in the absence of any unified Arab military force, we shouldn’t expect any effective decisions from the Arab League.”
He continued, “Many events have taken place in the Arab world, and we haven’t seen any unified positions, only a few weak statements that are ineffective. Therefore, the Arab League needs a complete overhaul, or it should be dissolved outright.”
The selection process itself may be the core issue, he said, noting that “the mechanism for selecting the Secretary-General of the League, which has traditionally been to choose him permanently from Egypt and to be a former Egyptian official—a requirement not stipulated in any law or charter of the Arab League—is the crux of the matter.”
Aziz added that “when a former Egyptian official, whether a foreign minister, prime minister, or someone else, serves in a position, he still carries Egyptian thinking and policies, and therefore doesn’t represent all Arabs.”
Sarah Azab, an Egyptian political analyst and journalist, rejected claims that Egypt is responsible for the Arab League’s weakness, calling them politically motivated. She said such accusations are “simply attempts to undermine Egypt, and these claims are untrue.”
She pointed to Egypt’s longstanding role in the organization, saying leadership positions have typically gone to figures with international standing and that Cairo has broad regional backing. “Egypt, being the largest Arab country and the most experienced in international politics, enjoys Arab consensus to assume this responsibility,” she said, adding that she would not object to an alternative candidate “if they found someone better to head this organization from outside Egypt, but perhaps they haven’t found anyone.”
Azab framed the League’s challenges as structural rather than leadership-driven, saying divisions among member states are the main obstacle. “The problem within the Arab League lies in the conflicting interests of its members, not in the League itself,” she said, citing differing responses to Iranian actions in the Gulf. Some countries, she noted, maintain ties with Tehran and have avoided condemning attacks, making unified positions difficult.
She also questioned why criticism appears to focus primarily on Egypt while overlooking others. “Why don’t we see these media attacks on the Sultanate of Oman … or even semi-official attack on Algeria, Mauritania, or other countries that did not take a position?” she asked.
Azab argued that the pattern of criticism distorts the underlying issue. “Why only on Egypt, and to show as if the weakness of the Arab League is because of Egypt?” she said, concluding that “the Arab League is weak only because of the conflict of interests of the members.”
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