"The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Joint Defence Council held an emergency session in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, to discuss urgent regional security measures in response to the recent Israeli strike on a Hamas office in Qatar's capital, which killed six people. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi said the attack on the State of Qatar can be considered an attack on all GCC countries."
"In 2023, GCC countries collectively spent $114.5bn on their militaries. Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share, budgeting for at least $69bn and ranking as the world's seventh-largest military spender, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at $20.7bn, Qatar at $9.02bn, Kuwait at $7.77bn, Oman at $6.5bn and Bahrain at $1.4bn, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Military Balance 2024."
The GCC Joint Defence Council convened an emergency session in Doha after an Israeli strike on a Hamas office in Qatar's capital killed six people. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi said the attack on Qatar can be considered an attack on all GCC countries. Member states will activate joint defence mechanisms, increase intelligence sharing, coordinate aerial positions, implement an early-warning system against ballistic missiles and conduct joint training including a regional air force drill. The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In 2023 GCC states spent $114.5bn on their militaries, led by Saudi Arabia ($69bn). The US maintains military sites across at least 19 Middle East locations, eight permanent.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]