Photo taken on Dec. 9, 2018 shows the Al Diriyah Palace where the 39th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 39th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit kicked off on Sunday in Riyadh. The one-day annual summit is expected to discuss regional and international issues to promote political, defense, economic and legislative integration and cooperation among GCC member states, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. (Xinhua/Tu Yifan)

RIYADH, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 39th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit kicked off on Sunday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

The one-day annual summit is expected to discuss regional and international issues to promote political, defense, economic and legislative integration and cooperation among GCC member states, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

GCC foreign ministers will hold a meeting on the sidelines of the event, SPA said.

The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.

The last GCC summit was hosted by Kuwait in 2017, where the member states committed themselves to safeguarding regional achievements and meeting the aspirations of their citizens.