The Secretariat General prepares reports, studies, accounts and budgets for the GCC. It drafts rules and regulations and is charged with the responsibility of assisting member states in the implementation of decisions taken by the Supreme and Ministerial Councils. The Secretary General is appointed for a three-year period (renewable) by the Supreme Council on the recommendation of the Ministerial Council. The Secretariat is based in the city of
Riyadh. The
GCC headquarters is located in the Diplomatic Quarter, where a substantial complex, financed by a gift from King Fahd, has been built to meet the Secretariat's present and future needs.
The GCC represents a bold move towards regional integration. The speed of its progress has been remarkable, aided by the homogeneity of religious commitment and common economic, social and cultural interests. In the past, there have been a number of grandiose schemes to unite parts of the Arab world, all of which have foundered. The GCC, more modest in ambition, has shown how, with the commitment of heads of state, a well-planned and rational program of integration is possible, given time to resolve the inevitable problems.
