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Q70 (IAS/2016) International Relations & Global Affairs › International Organisations & Groupings › Intergovernmental groupings Official Key

Which of the following is not a member of 'Gulf Cooperation Council?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprises six member countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the[2] United Arab Emirates.[1]

Looking at the options provided, we can verify that Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait are all members of the GCC[1], making options B, C, and D incorrect answers to this question.

Iran is notably absent from the list of GCC members. Iran, despite being a significant Gulf region country, is not part of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The GCC was established by Arab states of the Persian Gulf region, and Iran, being a non-Arab Persian state with different political and sectarian alignments, was not included in this regional bloc.

Therefore, **Iran is not a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council**, making option A the correct answer to this question.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.imf.org/en/publications/occasional-papers/issues/2016/12/30/monetary-union-among-member-countries-of-the-gulf-cooperation-council-16394
  2. [2] https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/reo/mcd-cca/2016/october/cgroup.pdf
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Q. Which of the following is not a member of 'Gulf Cooperation Council? [A] Iran [B] Saudi Arabia [C] Oman [D] Kuwait
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
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This is a classic 'Membership Elimination' question relying on the fundamental geopolitical fault line in West Asia: the Arab Monarchies (GCC) vs. Iran. If you understand the political context (Sunni Monarchies vs. Shia Republic) rather than just rote memorizing lists, this is a sitter.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is Iran a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)--Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates ..."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly lists the six GCC member countries, showing the council's membership composition.
  • Iran is not included in the named list of GCC members, implying it is not a member.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Member states | * Bahrain * Kuwait * Oman * Qatar * Saudi Arabia * United Arab Emirates"
Why this source?
  • Provides a member states list for the Gulf Cooperation Council.
  • The listed members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates; Iran is not listed.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 17: India’s Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade > Custom Union > p. 504
Strength: 4/5
“Under this trade agreement, members not only eliminate all trade barriers but also follow a common policy towards non-member countries. It is the third stage of economic integration. Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and East African Community (EAC) are examples of Custom Union.”
Why relevant

GCC is cited as an example of a 'Custom Union' grouping of countries in the Gulf region, implying it is a regional organisation of Gulf states.

How to extend

A student could list which countries are commonly called 'Gulf' states (using a map) and then check whether Iran is conventionally counted among those GCC member states.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATE) > p. 282
Strength: 4/5
“• FATF currently has 39 members: 37 countries and 2 Regional organisations (European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council) • India became observer of FATF in 2006. Subsequently, India became its member in 2010. \bullet • Functions of FATF: This inter-governmental body sets international standards, called FATF Recommendations, and persuades other countries around the world to bring legislative and administrative changes necessary to adopt and adhere to FATF standards, rules and procedures”
Why relevant

The Gulf Cooperation Council appears as a distinct regional organisation (a FATF regional member), showing GCC represents multiple Gulf countries rather than a single state.

How to extend

Knowing GCC is a multi-state Gulf body, a student could compare known member states of GCC (from standard sources) to see if Iran is included.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 9: Distribution of World Natural Resources > Table 9.6 (Contd.) > p. 15
Strength: 5/5
“Te major exporters of oil and petroleum include: Angola, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Indonesia, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Venezuela. In India, most of the crude oil is obtained from the Bombay High, Digboi, Naharkatiya, Moran-Hugrijan (Assam) Ankleshwar, Gulf of Khambat, Khambat, and Kalol, (Gujarat), and the Barmer district of Rajasthan. Crude oil is also obtained from the Godavari-Krishna Delta and the state of Tripura. India is however, not self reliant in crude oil and petroleum. India imports over 70 per cent of its demand mainly from the Gulf countries.”
Why relevant

Iran is listed alongside Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE as major oil exporters — countries that are also commonly identified as 'Gulf states'.

How to extend

Using a world/regional map and the list of typical GCC members (Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain), a student can note Iran is geographically on the Gulf but check whether it appears on formal GCC member lists.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) > p. 548
Strength: 3/5
“@ Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) • It is a permanent inter-governmental organisation created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960.• Headquarters is in Vienna, Austria. \circ• Presently, OPEC has 13 members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Libya, UAE, Algeria, Nigeria, Gabon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Congo.• Last member to join was Congo in 2018. Ø.• Ecuador has withdrawn its membership from OPEC w.e.f. 1 January 2020. ۰• Objectives of OPEC include: ¢ BARBA AMI To have a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry. ۰”
Why relevant

Iran is explicitly named as a member of another regional organisation (OPEC), showing Iran participates in regional intergovernmental bodies.

How to extend

A student can use this pattern (Iran is member of some regional blocs) but must compare official GCC membership lists to verify whether Iran is a GCC member.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 8: Energy Resources > IMPORT > p. 13
Strength: 2/5
“The countries from where term contract purchases were made included Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Iran, Oman, Sudan, etc.”
Why relevant

Iran is mentioned among countries supplying oil in term contracts with other states, reinforcing Iran's status as a major Gulf-region actor involved in Gulf-state economic networks.

How to extend

A student could use Iran's economic ties to Gulf states as context but should check formal political membership lists of GCC rather than inferring membership from economic interaction.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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