QNA
Doha
Shura Council Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim on Tuesday opened a panel that focused on the GCC legislative councils’ key role played in bolstering the GCC cultural and national identity against global challenges.
The panel was organised by the Shura Council in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, under the theme of cultural diversity and the challenges of change: the role of legislative councils in preserving GCC identity.
The event brought together an elite group of experts and legislators, and several senior officials and specialists.
The panel was moderated by Ghanem Saad Al Hamidi, a curriculum expert at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The speakers discussed the ancient history and pan-GCC deep ties that include pillars of religion, language, and common heritage. They stressed the importance of the GCC identity and the role of legislative councils in supporting it.
The first session of the panel tackled the challenges of change and the GCC society’s response to them. During the session, Fahad Ali Al Buainain and Hind Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, from Qatar University’s Social and Economic Survey Research Institute, addressed the challenges facing the Gulf society in its response to rapid changes and emphasised the importance of adapting to changes while maintaining the basic values of society.
In the second session, members of the Shura Council HE Khaled bin Ghanim Al Ali and HE Khaled bin Ahmed Al Obaidan addressed how GCC countries are confronting demographic and cultural challenges arising from globalisation and diverse migrations, emphasising the preservation of essential characteristics of the GCC identity.
The speakers presented their views on culture and heritage as key elements in enhancing the Gulf identity.
Obaidan highlighted the continuous efforts exerted by GCC countries to strengthen national identity and enhance national belonging.
In the third session of the seminar, which focused on the role of GCC legislative councils in enhancing GCC identity, faculty member at Qatar University College of Law Maryam Hamad Abu Sharida and Director of Session Affairs at the Shura Council HE Ahmed Sultan Al Ghanim discussed the role of legislative councils in supporting GCC identity through evolving legislation that keeps pace with current developments.
At the conclusion of the seminar, a set of practical recommendations were presented aimed at enhancing GCC unity and identity. These recommendations included establishing a permanent committee under the GCC General Secretariat dedicated to preserving GCC identity, as well as continuing the role of legislative councils in proposing legislation that supports the preservation of this identity.
The recommendations also emphasised the importance of family upbringing and the necessity of updating existing laws and formulating new legislation that contributes to preserving identity in the future. They highlighted the importance of promoting cultural and educational exchanges among GCC countries, developing curricula, engaging youth in decision-making affecting identity, and using technology to preserve identity, including developing social media platforms and creating digital content that supports GCC identity.
