Which of the following is not a member of 'Gulf Cooperation Council'?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Iran
Iran is not in the Gulf Cooperation Council. The GCC was set up in 1981 by six Arab states of the Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- ✓ (a) Iran, although it lies on the Gulf coast, was not among the six founding states and has never joined the GCC.
- ✗ (b) Saudi Arabia is a founding member; the agreement creating the GCC was concluded at Riyadh on 25 May 1981.
- ✗ (c) Oman is one of the six founding members.
- ✗ (d) Kuwait is one of the six founding members.
Remember · GCC (1981, Riyadh) has six members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE. Iran and Iraq are Gulf countries but not members.
Sources
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Background and objectives (Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India) ↗ “The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was established by an agreement concluded on 25 May 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia among Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·