RIYADH — Gulf Cooperation Council leaders convened in Riyadh at their first in-person summit since the outbreak of the U.S.–Israel war with Iran. The leaders discussed expediting longstanding joint projects spanning transport, energy, water security and defense.

The initiatives, pursued under the GCC umbrella, are intended to deepen economic ties and strengthen collective resilience across the six member states. Civilian infrastructure in energy, water, and transport is increasingly treated as part of the security landscape.

Among the projects under review is the GCC railway, first approved in December 2009. The 2,117-kilometer network is designed to connect all six member states from Kuwait City to Muscat, passing through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Built for both passengers and freight with expected train speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, the rail line is intended to reduce transport times, facilitate trade, and improve mobility for citizens and residents. Progress has been uneven, with deadlines slipping from 2018 to around 2030.

The bloc's electrical interconnection grid, which allows member states to share power across borders, was approved in 1997, leading to the creation of the GCC Interconnection Authority to build and manage the network. By 2009, the first phase linking Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait was operational. Subsequent phases expanded the grid to include the United Arab Emirates and Oman, with full integration completed in 2014. The system reduces the need for each country to maintain large reserve capacity, lowers electricity production costs, provides backup during emergencies, and allows countries to exchange surplus power.

GCC countries are among the most water-scarce in the world, relying heavily on hydrocarbon-powered desalination to meet freshwater needs. Member states proposed the Gulf Water Interconnection Project in 2012 during a consultative meeting in Riyadh, aiming to link national water networks to share supplies during shortages or emergencies. Studies have been completed, but implementation is still under discussion, with environmental considerations and technical challenges remaining key factors. If implemented, the network would provide a safety net to ensure long-term water availability and strengthen regional cooperation on water security.

Energy cooperation has long been at the core of GCC coordination. The Unified Economic Agreement and its 2001 update emphasize alignment across the oil and gas value chain from production to pricing and export strategy. A regional pipeline network is being developed to streamline energy flows, reduce costs, and reinforce the bloc's collective weight in global markets. Pipeline integration would enhance energy security by diversifying transport routes and improving coordination among producers.

On defense, GCC states are working towards a shared early warning system for ballistic missile threats. The integrated regional network would use satellite-based sensors and radar tracking to detect launches in real time and follow their full trajectory, allowing authorities to coordinate responses and improve readiness and protection. Satellites equipped with thermal sensors would detect heat signatures of missile launches at ignition, providing early warning before missiles reach higher altitudes. Similar early warning systems are in use in the United States, Russia, Japan, and South Korea.