Qatar blockade reveals flaw in Gulf’s answer to EU
It all started so well. In 1981, inspired partly by the EU’s success, the six states bordering the Persian Gulf established the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The council’s remit, focused initially on aligning regulation and simplifying trade, grew to encompass research and higher education collaboration. By 2011, proposals were on the table for a Gulf Union, which, like the EU, would include a pan-Gulf research fund and a common currency.