Gulf States
The Arab Gulf States, also known as Arab states of the Persian Gulf or Gulf Arab states or Gulf states, are usually reserved for the six Arab monarchical states joined since 1981 in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, or Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the sultanate of Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Although Iraq is an Arab state with a shore on the Persian Gulf, it was never considered as a possible member of the GCC: indeed the organisation was set up in part to secure the specific interests of the six monarchical oil states, at the moment Iraq was embroiled in the Iran-Iraq war. Iraq's membership in GCC-related and other Persian Gulf-related bodies was terminated after the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Yemen similarly is not a member of the GCC, although it has been admitted to several GCC bodies. Both countries lack some of the properties held by the other six such states, such as government by hereditary monarchy. It is useful to view the other six Arab states of the Persian Gulf as a group because they share similar economies, a similar culture, and similar political characteristics - even if they also show internal diversity.