Saudi appointed commander of GCC Unified Military Command

Saudi Lieutenant General Eid Bin Awad Al-Shalawi was appointed Commander of the GCC Unified Military Command (UMC) during the 39th GCC meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Abdul Latif Al-Zayani welcomed Al-Shalawi’s appointment saying it is an important step to complete the GCC’s joint defence system.

In 2017, Al-Shalawi was relieved of his post as commander of the Saudi ground forces and appointed as adviser to the defence minister.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which brings together the countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, setup the UMC in 2013 to establish a joint defense force able to advance the goal of collective security in the region.

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