Secretary of the Cooperation Council: Social development is a fundamental pillar of joint Gulf action

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The Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, stressed that social development, especially in the areas of family and society in its various categories, represents one of the basic pillars of joint Gulf action.

This came during the twelfth meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Social Affairs and Development of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, today, in the Bahraini capital, Manama, headed by the Minister of Social Development of the Kingdom of Bahrain, head of the current session, Osama bin Saleh Al-Alawi, and in the presence of the ministers responsible for social affairs and development in the GCC countries.

Al-Budaiwi said that the Committee of Ministers of Social Affairs and Development plays an active role in supporting the process of joint Gulf action in the field of social development, especially with regard to the family and society in its various categories, in light of the rapid transformations witnessed by the GCC countries.

He pointed out that the population of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries exceeded 63 million people in 2025, according to the latest data from the Gulf Statistical Center, which reflects the size of the joint responsibility in building family and social policies that keep pace with population growth and the transformations that accompany it.

He added that children represent a major focus in human development policies, as data for the year 2024 indicate that those under the age of 15 constitute more than 20% of the total population of the GCC countries, which confirms the importance of continuing to develop an integrated system for child protection and care, enhancing the quality of education and health, and protecting them from violence, abuse and exploitation.

He also stressed the importance of dealing with the challenges associated with the digital world, including digital safety, privacy, and the safe and responsible use of modern technologies.

In the same context, Al-Budaiwi pointed out the importance of placing the elderly at the heart of social policies, explaining that population projections indicate that the number of people aged 65 years and over in the GCC countries may exceed 5.5 million people by 2050.

He stressed that this transformation requires developing social and health care and protection systems, supporting the concept of active aging, strengthening the role of the family in caring for the elderly, and benefiting from their experiences and contributions in building societies.