Saudis hope summit will help curtail Iranian imperialist ambitions

RIYADH: A cross-section of Saudis on Friday hailed the outcome of this week’s GCC-US summit, saying it would ensure better coordination to deal with Iran’s imperialist ambitions, the Palestinian issue, and conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and other countries.
The second GCC-US summit had been attended by American President Barack Obama and chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman here on Thursday. Leaders of the six-nation GCC were also in attendance.
Majed Abdullah Al-Hedayan, a senior columnist and specialist consultant on legal affairs at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News that the meeting reaffirmed the strategic partnership between America and its Gulf allies, and would contribute to a secure and prosperous region.
Al-Hedayan said it was particularly important that Obama had expressed his readiness to help the GCC countries deal with economic challenges posed by low oil prices.
He said it was also heartening to see that the GCC leaders had endorsed a US proposal to launch a ministerial-level economic dialogue initiative this year, which would further strengthen joint cooperation between the two sides.
Al-Hedayan said a further positive outcome was the commitment by all the participants to continue efforts to tackle terrorism, which would translate into a more secure and stable Middle East region.
Mohammed Alkhnessi, a senior member of the Shoura Council, told Arab News that the summit had helped address serious security concerns, and ways to counter terrorism in the region. 
He welcomed Obama’s commitment to stand with the GCC on these issues, and said it was not possible for either side to alone face up to immense challenges in the region.
Talal Al-Otaibi, a media consultant, said there appeared to be a consensus evolving on several major issues, which showed there was an increasing vigilance about topics such as Iran’s destabilizing behavior. It was also positive that the talks focused on coordinating more closely on the military and political fronts.
Abdullah Inayat, a public relations manager, welcomed the steps being taken to tackle Daesh, attempts to resolve regional disputes amicably and address internal and external threats.