When global leaders graced GCC summits

JEDDAH: In what is considered Barack Obama's last visit to the Kingdom as US president, he talked Thursday with Saudi and Gulf leaders about agreements on counterterrorism and bolstering ballistic missile defense systems.

He also discussed with the Gulf leaders the fight against Daesh in Iraq and other regional issues. In doing so, Obama became one of a line of world leaders who attended a Gulf Cooperation Council summit.
The late Nelson Mandela was admired by Arabs for his courage and strength to build union and peace for the people of South Africa.
In 1998, founder and first president of UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan welcomed Mandela to the UAE, honoring him with the Zayed Medal for his life-time achievements.
Mandela was gracious enough to present opening remarks at the 19th annual GCC Summit held in Abu Dhabi.
Kofi Annan, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, was in his second year as UN chief when he was invited to speak in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. He gave the inaugural remarks at the 19th GCC summit, where the Iranian occupation of three UAE islands was high on the agenda. Annan devised a framework for negotiations between the UAE and Iran in a bid to resolve the dispute.
Former French President Jacques Chirac addressed the 19th GCC Summit in Abu Dhabi via satellite, praising the deep-rooted ties of friendship between the GCC countries and France and appreciating the role played by the council in international sphere.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also attended the 28th GCC summit held in Doha, Qatar in 2007, proposing a number of joint projects to improve ties with the GCC, including economic and security programs.
French President François Hollande became the first sitting leader of a Western nation to be invited as a guest of honor to a summit with GCC leaders in May 2015. During the visit, Hollande said the security of the Arab world was “tantamount to the world security and the dangers of terrorism threaten all countries.”
The French leader also said that his country was going to work on continuing a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia and that his visit to the country tasks France with an important role in maintaining security in the region.

—Al Arabiya