Riyadh: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi underscored that the Security and History Dialogue Forum holds great significance in advancing visions for the future of security and development. His remarks came during his participation in the forum, themed "Our History and Our Future: Security and Prosperity," organized by the Ministry of Interior yesterday in Riyadh.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the forum brought together leaders, officials, experts, and academics to examine historical experiences and foresee future transformations in security and development, featuring the participation of more than 160 speakers from within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and abroad. "Security has been an integral pillar since the inception of the GCC journey, reaching an advanced stage of integration and joint security readiness. The strength of the Gulf ecosystem stems from that of its member states and their collective ability to act in unison when confronting common challenges," he added.
In a related context, the secretary-general pointed out that the evolving nature of crime and cross-border threats necessitates shifting from reactive handling after incidents occur to preemptive action, dismantling criminal networks, and drying up their resources. Moreover, he reviewed the progress achieved by the joint Gulf action framework in combating narcotics and money laundering, alongside the completion of the draft GCC Strategy for Combating Cybercrime and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Crimes.
He explained that artificial intelligence and modern technologies offer significant opportunities to advance security operations, while simultaneously posing new challenges as they are exploited in sophisticated criminal patterns. He stated that the GCC states are building their capabilities to anticipate future crimes and confront them with forward-looking tools, while keeping the protection of individuals, families, and society at the heart of security action.
Albudaiwi also underlined the vital significance of joint operational readiness and the role of joint tactical security drills-foremost among them the "Arabian Gulf Security" exercise-as a practical manifestation of integration among security agencies across the GCC states, elevating coordination, rapid response, and adaptability to evolving security scenarios.
In conclusion, Albudaiwi stated that successful experiences across the GCC member states represent a shared Gulf asset from which expertise can be exchanged and built upon. He underscored that the nexus between security and development has become increasingly interconnected amidst the major transformations witnessed across the GCC states. "Security does not stand on the margins of development, but rather protects its path and safeguards its gains, while modern technology provides a greater capability to preempt risks and protect human lives," he concluded.
