Over the years, the EU has forged constructive political dialogue with members of the Cooperation Council for Arab States of the Gulf (GCC). In 1902, Ibn Saud took control of Riyadh in Nejd and brought the Al Saud back to Nejd. EU member states urged to impose arms embargo over Khashoggi’s killing and the war in Yemen. INCONET-GCC will be achieved through a high quality, recognized value and expertise consortium. It will promote actions in order to monitor, develop, promote and contribute to the creation of synergies among the various S&T cooperation programmes between the GCC and the EU Member States, and foster the participation of the GCC in the FP7. [27] This included providing supplies such as food and water for the journey. The European Parliament on Thursday urged the EU member states to impose arms embargo on Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Yemen war. Ottomans are allowed to form Arabia, the restriction blocking them is that they have primary culture Turkish, which is why the other turkish nations are also blocked. †= Disputed state, may not be recognised as an independent state by some or all European Union members. [23] Trade routes often flourished along pilgrimage routes, since the existing infrastructure and protections were established, and travelling pilgrims increased the demand for products. The European Union condemns this indiscriminate attack on Saudi cities claimed by the Houthis. [7], The first Saudi state was established in 1744 in the area around Riyadh, rapidly expanded and briefly controlled most of the present-day territory of Saudi Arabia. User account menu. For information about educational links between the EU and the GCC states, see this website’s travel and study section. Particularly in the case of the Safavid Empire, the Ottomans closed the shortest route from Basra (in present-day Iraq) that would have allowed Shi’i pilgrims to cross the Persian Gulf into the Arabian Peninsula. Guido Steinberg: Saudi-Arabien. By 1973, Arab-European relations were based on oil in exchange for political support.[2]. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Summary of remarks by Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for CFSP, at the 19th Arab League Summit. [4], The emergence of what was to become the Saudi royal family, known as the Al Saud, began in Nejd in central Arabia in 1744, when Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the dynasty, joined forces with the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab who was from the Hanbali school of thought,[5][6] This alliance formed in the 18th century provided the ideological impetus to Saudi expansion and remains the basis of Saudi Arabian dynastic rule today. The EU exports a wide range of goods and services to the region; however, around 50 % of the EU's exported goods to the GCC are machinery, including: Meanwhile, approximately 70 % of all EU imports from the GCC consist of fuels and their derivatives. The main reason was to thwart Portuguese attempts to attack the Red Sea (hence the Hejaz) and the Indian Ocean. The European states then suffered with what was called the independent movements that raged the Arab world. When the Ottomans conquered Mamluk territory in 1517,[18] the role of the Ottoman sultan in the Hijaz was first and foremost to take care of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, and provide safe passage for the many Muslims from various regions who travelled to Mecca in order to perform the Hajj. Consequently, it is indispensable that the EU as a unified political and economic block work towards the future shaping of its policies in cooperation with the GCC. In 1916, with the encouragement and support of Britain (which was fighting the Ottomans in World War I), the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali, led a pan-Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire to create a united Arab state. Most Central Asian pilgrims went through Istanbul or Delhi to join a pilgrimage caravan. Cooperation between universities, business and the media also form part of the EU-GCC agenda. In 2015, EU exports to the GCC exceeded €111.6 billion, while imports from the Gulf states totalled €44 billion. This follows an intensification of hostilities within Yemen where civilians, including children, The EU stands with Syrians: Europe cannot and will not look away. Log in sign up. It is believed that the strength of this project lies in the wide cooperation of different organizations which all have specific expertise. Following this summit, he had several meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. The EU and the GCC regions are seeking to establish a long term strategic energy relationship with a focus on sustainable, clean and renewable energy. The report also urges the remaining EU countries to impose similar sanctions to prevent further civilian suffering in the Yemen conflict. The consortium is flexible and easily manageable. Over the years, the EU has forged constructive political dialogue with members of the Cooperation Council for Arab States of the Gulf (GCC). The project also strives to support the EU and the GCC in increasingly harmonising economic policies and collaborating in the design of social and political initiatives of international impact. Yemen has been in violence and chaos since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa, and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee the country the following year.