The workshop was organised by the Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE), Spain, and the Gulf Research Center. Discussions focused on the questions of Political Reform in the Gulf region in relations to governance issues and the changing international position of the GCC countries. One of the aims of the workshop was to highlight to Europe the change and transition that the GCC are experiencing such as in demographic issues, raising political demands and a changing media environment to name a few.