GCC: A Force for Regional Stability

Posted: February 19th, 2017

By Marcelle M. Wahba

Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba retired from the U.S. Department of State in May 2008, class of Minister Counselor, after a 22-year career spent mostly in the Middle East. Wahba was confirmed as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in October 2001. She received the White House Presidential Meritorious Service Award for her service in the UAE. Ambassador Wahba was appointed by the Board of Directors on December 10, 2014 to serve as the first President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW). Prior to her appointment as President, Wahba led DerMar International, LLC, a consulting firm focused on assisting American businesses seeking to establish or expand their presence in the Middle East. Ambassador Wahba is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the board of CIEE, and on the board of advisors to the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

The Cipher Brief sat down with Marcelle Wahba, President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, to discuss internal dynamics within the Gulf Cooperation Council. According to Wahba, GCC countries view Iran as their “main international security challenge, but pursue a range of approaches based on varying priorities.” Furthermore, Wahba said cooperation among GCC countries is primarily in defense as “there is not great policy coordination in trade or financial regulation among the GCC states.”

TCB: What role has the Gulf Cooperation Council played in promoting regional stability in the Arabian Gulf? Has the establishment of the GCC led to an increase in coordination and cooperation among GCC member countries, particularly in the security realm?

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