GCC Faces Future Threats

During a lecture at the Sheikh Ebrahim Center in Muharraq, Prince Turki Al-Faisal warned that demographic shifts and the risks posed by artificial intelligence are intertwined strategic challenges for the Gulf Cooperation Council states, given their impact on community security and sustainable development. He noted that four of the six Gulf states now have fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman. According to 2024 data, rates ranged from 2.5 in Oman to 1.2 in the UAE, foreshadowing population ageing and rising pension and healthcare costs. At the same time, AI could add $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Yet around 300 million jobs worldwide are at risk of displacement, and as many as 40% of jobs could be affected, alongside security and military risks. He called for joint Gulf policies to support families and children, prepare workers for change, ensure the safe use of automation, and establish a unified council to govern AI.

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