GCC Approves Advanced Headquarters for Unified Military Command in Kuwait, to Deploy Appropriate Forces
The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, announced on Nov. 10 that the bloc's six member states have approved establishing an advanced headquarters for their Unified Military Command in Kuwait and deploying "appropriate" forces to it. The decision was taken at the 23rd session of the GCC Joint Defence Council in Manama, Bahrain, attended by the six defence ministers and chaired by Bahrain's Minister of Defense Affairs, Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Hassan Al-Nuaimi.
The GCC comprises the U.S.-allied Gulf monarchies of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. The secretary general gave no opening date for the new headquarters and no details on how many troops would be deployed or what their specific duties would be. Kuwait sits at the northern end of the Gulf, bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia and facing Iran across the water, which gives the forward headquarters a front-line position in the bloc's collective defence layout.
The GCC established its Unified Military Command at a summit in Kuwait in December 2013, with its main headquarters in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to plan and manage joint military operations and strengthen member states' ability to defend their territory, airspace, waters and interests. The new post in Kuwait adds a forward element to that joint command structure.
Reuters noted in reporting the decision that most GCC states host large U.S. military bases and have faced repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on Feb. 28. The secretary general said the Kuwait decision implements directives from GCC leaders to safeguard the security and sovereignty of the member states and strengthen their ability to confront common threats.
(Source: Gulf Cooperation Council)
Source: Gulf Cooperation Council
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：海合会成员国代表在巴林首都 Manama 举行会议（2026年10月18日资料图，与会者包括海合会秘书长）。本站档案图复用。 / Photo: File photo from Oct. 18, 2026, of GCC member-state representatives meeting in Manama, Bahrain, including the GCC Secretary General. GSM archive image reused.
