Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday launched a $20 billion aid package for Bahrain and Oman, both of which are facing anti-government protests.
The job-generating measure, which will give $10 billion to each country to upgrade their housing and infrastructure over 10 years, was above the $10 billion to $15 billion indicated by officials earlier this week.
Foreign ministers from the six GCC states announced the measures after a three-hour meeting in the Saudi capital.
“We believe this is an ambitious programme and it also shows strong support from the GCC,” UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan told reporters.
The countries are forming a committee to decide on the necessary mechanisms for the programme, the foreign ministers said in a statement, and will meet next in two weeks.
Bahrain has been particularly hard hit as long simmering tensions burst into the open.
“Dear Bahraini ... messages of unity, brotherhood and social harmony are our most powerful weapons to fight sectarian strife,” Bahrain’s Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said on Twitter as he announced the fund.
As part of an agreement between the UAE and Iran to prepare the appropriate atmosphere for resolving the issue of the three occupied islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Mousa, the UAE requested the omission of the issue from the final communique of the GCC ministerial council meeting, a WAM report said.
