The Shura Council State of Qatar

HE Shura Council Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim opened Tuesday a panel that focused on the GCC legislative councils' key role played in bolstering the GCC cultural and national identity against global challenges.

The panel was organized by the Shura Council in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, under the theme of cultural diversity and the challenges of change: the role of legislative councils in preserving GCC identity. It brought together an elite group of experts and legislators, and several senior officials and specialists.

The panel was moderated by Ghanem Saad Al Hamidi, a curriculum expert at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

The speakers discussed the ancient history and pan-GCC deep ties that include pillars of religion, language, and common heritage. They stressed the importance of the GCC identity and the role of legislative councils in supporting it.

The first session of the panel tackled the challenges of change and the GCC societys response to them. During the session, Fahad Ali Al Buainain and Hind Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, from Qatar University's Social and Economic Survey Research Institute, addressed the challenges facing the Gulf society in its response to rapid changes and emphasized the importance of adapting to changes while maintaining the basic values of society.

Al Buainain presented a research paper that focused on national identity's fundamental position compared to tribal affiliation, indicating that there is an increase in the feeling of national belonging at the expense of tribal affiliation, especially among the older age groups.

Al Sulaiti highlighted language, religion, local culture including traditions and customs, and national history as the four main components that contribute to the formation of national identity in the GCC countries. Her presented indicated that culture, which includes shared ideas, standards and practices among people in the same geographical region, is considered crucial to shaping national identity.

Meanwhile, she addressed the challenges facing the GCC cultural identity, including the influence of foreign relations, economic requirements that affect the composition of the population, and the impacts of globalization and the social media.

In the second session, members of the Shura Council Khaled bin Ghanim Al Ali and Khaled bin Ahmed Al Obaidan addressed how GCC countries are confronting demographic and cultural challenges arising from globalization and diverse migrations, emphasizing the preservation of essential characteristics of the GCC identity. The speakers presented their views on culture and heritage as key elements in enhancing the Gulf identity.

During this segment, Al Ali discussed the components and features of the GCC identity, highlighting the impact of Western modernity and social upbringing on national identity. He said that Western modernity separates between intellect and morals, and social upbringing often fails to transmit values between generations, emphasizing the need to reassess social upbringing systems and structures to ensure the transmission of fundamental values that constitute identity, emphasizing the importance of heritage, religion, and language as foundational pillars in this construction.

He advocated for adopting social upbringing that emphasizes values alongside cognitive dimensions, stressing the importance of building a national identity based on values of respect and humanity, contributing to the establishment of a strong and cohesive society that preserves its identity while being open to human commonalities.

Regarding the definition of identity Al Ali noted that identity is not static but dynamic, interacting and evolving through dialogue and exchange.

During the same session, Al Obaidan highlighted the continuous efforts exerted by GCC countries to strengthen national identity and enhance national belonging. He emphasized historical and cultural links among GCC countries in shaping and preserving the common GCC identity, emphasizing the pivotal role of Islamic religion as a fundamental element in shaping GCC identity by reinforcing loyalty, belonging, regulating individual behavior, and preserving social and moral order. Additionally, he emphasized the role of language in defining cultural identity and preserving authenticity and history, highlighting key elements of the GCC identity including religious and cultural ties, linguistic unity, and family cohesion.

Al Obaidan pointed out the challenges facing GCC identity amid globalization and cultural openness, recommending the development of strategies to affirm and protect national values and identity from external influences, particularly in the digital environment and demographic changes. He called for increased cooperation among GCC countries to strengthen the GCC identity and preserve social cohesion in the face of global challenges.

Al Obaidan emphasized the crucial role of GCC legislative councils in supporting these efforts through legislation and national programs that ensure the sustainability of GCC ethical and cultural values. 

In the third session of the seminar, which focused on the role of GCC legislative councils in enhancing GCC identity, faculty member at Qatar University College of Law Maryam Hamad Abu Sharida, and director of session affairs at the Shura Council Ahmed Sultan Al Ghanim discussed the role of legislative councils in supporting GCC identity through evolving legislation that keeps pace with current developments.

In this context, Abu Sharida presented a paper addressing the role of GCC legislative councils in enhancing GCC identity, emphasizing that GCC unity, manifested in common religion, language, and culture, enhances GCC national and homeland security.

She also highlighted the importance of legislative councils in supporting this unity by developing existing legislation or enacting new laws that align with modern developments and achieve common goals.

For his part, Al Ghanim presented a research paper that addressed the role of legislative councils in preserving GCC identity, emphasizing the importance of understanding and distinguishing the determinants of GCC identity and the challenges it faces in the era of globalization and social and economic transformations.

Al Ghanim's paper emphasized the importance of an identity that reflects history, religion, and shared culture among GCC countries, illustrating how such identity contributes to shaping individual and communal identities.

During the discussion session that concluded the seminar, participants discussed the issue of globalization and its impact on GCC cultural identity, engaging in an interactive dialogue that covered several key issues including technology, significant demographic pressures, and rapid social and economic changes, all of which necessitate a reevaluation of how to preserve GCC identity and culture.

At the conclusion of the seminar, a set of practical recommendations were presented aimed at enhancing GCC unity and identity. These recommendations included establishing a permanent committee under the GCC General Secretariat dedicated to preserving GCC identity, as well as continuing the role of legislative councils in proposing legislation that supports the preservation of this identity.

The recommendations also emphasized the importance of family upbringing and the necessity of updating existing laws and formulating new legislation that contributes to preserving identity in the future. They highlighted the importance of promoting cultural and educational exchanges among GCC countries, developing curricula, engaging youth in decision-making affecting identity, and using technology to preserve identity, including developing social media platforms and creating digital content that supports GCC identity.