Addressing the Forum, the Director of the Institute of Diplomatic Studies, Dr. Abdulkarim bin Homoud Al-Dakhil, said that the convening of this forum coincides with unprecedented developments and events in the Arab Gulf region and the Middle East, characterized by the growing roles of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a regional player and maker of diplomatic initiatives seeking to enhance security and stability in the region, notably the most important one is the GCC initiative on the Yemeni crisis , which was signed in Riyadh on 23/11/2011. He explained that the Gulf Cooperation Council has gained during the last period a prominent position in international diplomacy, through its partnerships and strategic dialogues with a number of major blocs and countries in the world such as the European Union, China, Russia, India, Turkey, and other countries. On his part, the President of Gulf Research Center, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Saqr bin Othman pointed out that the convening of this forum coincides with preparations for GCC Summit in a few days, noting that the GCC will start the fourth decade of its existence amid many desired ambitions and aspirations on one hand, as well as major challenges facing it, on the other hand. --SPA 15:11 LOCAL TIME 12:11 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/949267