Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Gulf leaders held a summit on Tuesday in the Qatari capital Doha to hammer out a common strategy to fight the threat from Islamic extremism and plunging oil prices.

Speaking at the beginning of the summit, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said Tuesday’s meeting comes at a time of highly complex regional and international circumstances.

Prince Tamim also said he hopes the summit would mark the launch of a new march of GCC cooperation.

Earlier in the day, Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Emirati Prime Minister and Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum were received by the Qatari Emir upon their arrival in Doha.

Also Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and Omani Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud al-Said were also recieved by Prince Tamim.

The leaders of GCC members are expected to discuss relations with neighboring Iran, economic integration as well as unrest in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Qatar, whose support for the Muslim Brotherhood had caused months of acrimony with fellow GCC members Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and the bloc, has recently made concerted efforts to reconcile.

At an emergency meeting on Nov. 16 in Riyadh, GCC leaders had agreed to turn over a new page in relations after Doha was accused of destabilizing the region by supporting Islamist movements, namely the Muslim Brotherhood. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have both listed the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

*Al Arabiya