On December 9, King Abdullah opened the 27th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh with a speech firmly endorsing greater economic and political unity for the region. He stressed regional political and security issues, particularly the challenge of maintaining unity amongst Arabs. He compared the situation in the wider Middle East to a barrel of gunpowder that could explode any moment with a single spark. All Gulf countries are well aware of the knock-on effect of situations in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon deteriorating further – none more so than Saudi Arabia. The economy would likely suffer, but the main worry would be a higher risk of civil unrest should the Kingdom appear not to be acting in support of Arab neighbors in the region. As elsewhere in the Gulf, the Saudi government treads a tight-rope between supporting the broader Arab cause, while maintaining strong relations with the West, notably
