(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) KUWAIT, Dec 23 (KUNA) -- The year 2016 has seen numerous local and international events witnessed by the GCC arena which enriched its developmental march in the political, economic and social domains while others have posed security and economic challenge that must be confronted.
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) has spotted the most significant events that had taken place in the GCC states during 2016 and they are as follows: GCC Secretariat: =============== January 3: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned "barbaric" attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and Consulate in Mashhad, holding Iranian authorities fully responsible for these "terrorist acts".
January 29: GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani condemned the "terrorist blast" took place in front of the residence of Yemeni President.
February 20: GCC expressed its full support for Saudi Arabia's decision regarding stopping its military aid to the Lebanese army and internal security forces. March 24: GCC Secretariat announced the start of implementing the first phase of reducing prices of roaming services among member states by an average 40 percent as of April 1.
GCC Ministerial Council: ======================= January 9: GCC Ministerial Council during its meeting in Riyadh denounced Iran's flagrant interferences in the affairs of Saudi Arabia. This came after discussing the attacks on Saudi Embassy and Consulate in Tehran and Mashhad respectively.
January 23: GCC Foreign Ministers held a joint meeting with US Secretary of State John F. Kerry in Riyadh and discussed mutual cooperation in the framework of the standing strategic partnership. March 9: GCC Foreign Ministers held the meeting of 138th session headed by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubair and discussed what has been achieved regarding GCC Supreme Council's resolutions, including materializing vision of Saudi King pertaining to promoting the joint Gulf action.
May 29: GCC Foreign Ministers hold their 139th meeting of the GCC ministerial council to discuss the latest regional and international developments.
July 18: The ministerial meeting between the GCC states and the European Union started in Brussels to discuss ways of resolving regional crises topped by the Syrian crisis.
GCC Ministers of Information: ============================ March 7: GCC Ministers of Information discussed during the 24th session some of recommendations and memos, including the secretariat's memo on showing the real image of Islam, and combating hatred, extremism and intolerance campaigns.
GCC Health Ministers meetings: ============================= May 20: The GCC committee tasked with consolidating health called for coming up witha unified GCC strategy to consolidate health.
GCC Finance Ministers meetings: ============================== May 24: GCC Finance Ministers discussed in their extraordinary Riyadh meeting proposals pertinent to activation of cooperation and economic integration among the member states.
June 17: GCC Finance Ministers approved the unified draft project on added value.
GCC Ministers of Telecommunications: =============================== June 23: GCC Telecommunications Ministers hold an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh to discuss issues related to boosting cooperation in the maritime navigation and telecommunications.
Saudi Arabia (Royal decrees):
============================
January 3: Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Iran for violating international conventions and diplomatic norms which call for respecting the accredited diplomatic missions in any country. This came after some Iranian protesters attacked the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad respectively.
January 4: Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation announced it halted all flights to and from Iran.
January 4: Saudi Interior Ministry announced that a citizen was shot dead and a child was injured in Al-Awamiyah village in the Kingdom's Eastern Province.
February 14: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received the Award of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Sustainable Development from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
April 16: Saudi announced arrival of nine Yemeni nationals who were held at Guantanamo Bay prison.
May 7: Saudi King issues various decrees exempting and appointing a number of ministers and high officials.
October 16: Saudi King issued an order appointing Thamer Al-Sabhan minister of state for GCC affairs.
November 30: Saudi King approves allocation of 100 billion riyals from reserves of the public investment fund for diversifying investment portfolio.
Agreements:
==========
January 5: Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation announced it intended to privatize three airports in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam in 2016 and 2017.
January 19: Saudi Arabia and China signed 14 agreements and memoranda of understanding to enhance mutual cooperation in scientific, economic and cultural fields.
January 20: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Chinese President Xi jointly inaugurated the Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (YASREF) refinery.
August 31: Saudi Arabia and China sign 17 agreements for joint cooperation.
October 11: Aramco signs an MoU with 18 Turkish companies.
October 25: Saudi and kazakhstan sign an MoU in the field of agriculture.
Terrorism:
=========
January 2: Saudi Interior Ministry announced it executed about 47 people, including an Egyptian and a Chadian, on terror-related charges.
January 18: Saudi Interior Ministry announced it arrested a man accused of being involved in setting fire to a government building by Molotov cocktail in Al-Qatif Governorate in the Eastern Province.
January 29: Saudi Interior Ministry announced that two people were "martyred" and seven others were wounded in a suicide blast targeted a mosque in Al-Ahsa governorate in eastern the Kingdom.
January 31: The command of the coalition forces to support the legitimacy in Yemen and King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center managed to deliver medical and relief aid for people besieged in Ta'izz city.
February 11: At least six people were shot dead in Jazan in southern the Kingdom.
Aid
April 2: Saudi Arabia donated USD 10 million for the establishment of a specialized center to combat nuclear terrorism at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.
Kingdom of Bahrain:
==================
Terrorism:
========
January 6: Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced that it foiled a "terrorist" plot supported by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the "terrorist group" Hezbollah aimed to carry out a series of explosions in the Kingdom.
April 11: Bahrain government endosed a list of organizations classified as terrorist.
April 28: Bahrain's Criminal Court imprisons 30 suspets to 30 years for the bombing attacks.
June 4: bahrain's Interior Ministry foiled a smuggling attempt of eight suspects.
June 16: Bahraini court issued verdicts against 35 nationals for attempted murder and burning.
Internal affairs:
===============
January 4: Bahrain's announced that it cut off its diplomatic relations with Iran and asked its diplomatic mission staff to leave the country with 28 hours.
January 5: Bahrain's Civil Aviation Affairs stopped flights to and from Iran.
January 11: Bahrain's Cabinet agreed to raise prices of super fuel to 160 Bahraini fils per litre from 100 fils, while the price for regular fuel to 125 fils per litre from 90 fils.
January 21: Bahrain International Airshow inaugurated its fourth edition in Manama, with the participation of 35 Arab and foreign countries.
Agreements
January 23: Bahrain announced that it signed a contract worth USD 1.1 billion for expanding Bahrain International Airport to increase its capacity up to 14 million passengers annually.
January 27: Bahrain National Gas Expansion Company (BNGEC) and JGC Corporation of Japan signed an agreement to set up a third plant whose cost hits USD 355 million.
Economy
January 21: Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier, announced deals to buy 45 aircraft of Boeing and Airbus worth a combined total of USD 7.6 billion.
February 17: Bahrain laid a cornerstone of the new terminal of Bahrain International Airport to increase its capacity up to 14 million passengers annually.
Sports
February 29: Bahrain won the 13th Asian Cross Country Championship by winning 11 colored medals including 4 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals.
July 17: Bahrain's Awqaf ministry announced that the Supreme Court dissolved Al-Wefaq Society.
October 26: Biological medicine conference inaugurated.
Agreements:
===========
January 23: Bahrain signed a contract for the expansion of its airport.
January 27: Bahrain's gas company signed a contract to establish the third gas factory.
August 23: The Bahrain government signed some contracts worth USD 395 million to provide 25,000 housing units.
Economy:
========
January 21: Gulf Air announced two deals to purchase 45 Boeing and Airbus planes.
The United Arab Emirates (Internal Affairs):
==========================================
January 3: UAE handed over a written note of protest to Iranian ambassador over its country's interference in Saudi sovereign affairs.
Achievements.
February 21: General Command of UAE's armed forces announced that a soldier was killed while he was performing a national duty in Saudi Arabia to take part in the "Operation Renewal of Hope" in Yemen.
February 23: UAE announced the downsizing of its diplomatic mission in Lebanon to minimum and issued a travel warning to the country.
February 27: UAE's armed forces announced that a soldier was killed, who was taking part in the Saudi-led coalition forces in the "Operation Renewal of Hope" in Yemen.
Foreign Affairs
March 2: The world's biggest wholesale city, with an investment of Dh30 billion (USD 8.1 billion), was set up in Dubai at 550 million square feet.
March 20: The United Arab Media Council, the Pan-Arab body, has chosen UAE Sharjah as the Capital of Arab Press for Year 2016.
Catastrophes:
============
January 27: Abu Dhabi Health Authority announced that one person died after being diagnosed with coronavirus, the main cause of the Middle East respiratory syndrome.
Achievements:
=============
December 17: Dubai Municipality and Mohammad Bin Rashed Space Center sign an agreement to manufacture the first Nano metric satellite in the area.
Qatar:
======
Domestic affairs:
================
Jan 14: Qatar raises fuel prices by 30 percent.
Jan 27: Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issues an Amiri decree on ministerial amendments.
Feb 24: Qatari Foreign Ministry calls on its citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon.
April 6: Qatar announced it had freed one of its nationals who was among 26 others abducted in Iraq.
June 30: Qatari Amir issued a decree appointing Sultan bin Saad Al-Meraikhi a state minister for foreign affairs.
October 23: Qatari Amiri Court announced demise of Father Amir Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani.
Foreign affairs:
==============
Agreements:
==========
Feb 28: Qatar and Nigeria sign agreement to avoid double taxation and tax evasion, and agreement on aviation.
March 14: Al Fakhoora program of Qatar's Education Above All Foundation, signs partnership agreement with Dutch NGO SPARK to provide 800 Syrian and Palestinian refugees with higher education.
March 29: Qatar and France sign memorandum of agreement to buy 24 Rafale fighter jets worth 6.7 billion euros.
March 30: Qatar signs ten memorandums of understanding with international military industry companies to develop equipment of Qatari army.
April 24: Qatar offered USD 10 million to the Iraqi people.
May 22: 2nd public session of the Doha Forum discussed ways of maintaining security in the area.
May 28: Qatar sent a private plane carrying medical supplies to Libya.
Economy:
=======
Jan 20: Gulf Commercial Bank gains 625.5 million riyals of net profits in 2015, compared to 562.9 million riyals in 2014.
April 26: Qatari Ministry of Petroleum announced new fuel prices.
Sports:
=======
Jan 28: Qatari handball team wins the 17th edition of Asian Men's Handball Championship afer defeating Bahrain 27-22.
March 5: Qatar wins GCC's 20th golf championship for men and the 9th for youth, seizing five medals.
March 24: Lekhwiya Sports Club wins Asian Club League Handball Championship for the first time in its history, beating Al-Gharafa Sports Club 27-17.
October 8: Official opening of the World Bicycle tourney 2016.
==============
Expos and achievements:
======================
March 29: The Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani inaugurates Doha international Maritime Defense Exhibition And Conference (Dimdex), with the participation of 58 countries.
Disasters:
==========
March 10: Ministry of Public Health announces death of patient infected with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus.
Oman:
=====
Expos and conferences:
=====================
Jan 20: The 7th session of the Center for Women of the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) kicks off to discuss resolving difficulties facing women in the work field.
Domestic affairs:
================
Jan 14: Oman approves a US request to host ten Yemeni detainees, released from Guantanamo Bay prison.
Agreements and achievements:
===========================
Feb 8: Oman helps transport a consignment of heavy water (D2O) outside Iran as per the nuclear pact signed between Iran and 5+1 Group.
November 7: Oman and Qatar sign a minute of a cooperation agreement in the security domain.
Economy:
=======
Jan 2: Oman announces revenues of about 8.6 billion Omani riyals for 2016's budget, with 72 percent oil revenues and 28 percent (2.45 billion riyals) for non-oil revenues.
Jan 5: Oman announces establishment of Oman mining development company with capital of about USD 260 million.
Jan 11: Oman raises prices of oil products (super, regular and diesel).
Jan 27 : Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issues Amiri decree on ministerial amendments.
Feb 24 : Qatari Foreign Ministry calls on its citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon.
Disasters:
==========
March 10 : Ministry of Public Health announces death of patient infected with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus. (end)
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