Kuala Lampur, Aug. 4 -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is no longer a distant regional grouping that Asean and Malaysia can afford to view merely through the prism of oil and gas.

It has become one of the most strategically important partners in West Asia, with profound implications for trade, investment, food security, energy security, digital transformation, Islamic finance, higher education, and geopolitical stability.

Comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, the GCC sits astride some of the world's most important maritime arteries.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the busiest energy corridors on Earth, while the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden connect Asia with Europe through the Suez...