GCC Summit set to kick off in Muscat at a sensitive and critical time

Muscat: The 29th GCC Summit, to be held in Muscat on Monday and Tuesday, comes at a very sensitive and critical time – both economically as well as politically - and Oman is seen as an ideal host to play a mediating role, believe analysts.

"For a long time the GCC Summit has not faced so many critical issues at once and the time has come to deal with them firmly," believes Awadh Bakhuwair, the senior Omani political analyst with Oman Arabic daily.

He told Gulf News that falling oil prices, the global economic recession, inflation, pirates in the Gulf of Aden, situation in Palestine were some of the critical issues that the six GCC leaders will have to discuss when they meet for two days from Monday.

However, in his opinion, the GCC bloc was not in a position to change the course of any of the issues. "We cannot stop Israelis from committing such atrocities in Palestine nor can we arrest the falling oil prices," Bakhuwair said.

Another senior Omani political analyst and television journalist believes that the summit comes at a very sensitive time. "We Arabs have to raise our voice in the UN and stop listening to what the West or US has to say on various issues, including the Palestinian cause," Ahmad Al Hooti said.

An independent researcher thinks that the 29th Summit is held at an "excellent time" in Muscat. "Oman has had good relations with the Arab world, the US, Europe and also with Iran, so they can play an excellent mediating role,'' John Sussman, Editorial Manager with the Oxford Business Group, told Gulf News.