Navigating the New Era: Energy and Environmental Considerations in EU-GCC Relations

A striking feature of the European relationship with both the Arab Gulf states and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is that it rests on a long-standing historical pedigree between European powers and the rulers of the Gulf region. This relationship dates back more than five centuries when Portugal first established a strategic position in Yemen’s Socotra Island in 1507, which later extended to Hormuz Island, Muscat and Bahrain. Just over 300 years later, Great Britain established a political residency on Iran’s Qeshm Island in 1820, which later extended throughout the Gulf region. Its presence became interwoven with the emergence of the modern state system of the Arab Gulf states.