The naval forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) participated in the joint exercise Union 17 in the United Arab Emirates in March 2015 to increase force readiness.
The annual exercise brought together naval forces from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with the goal of improving leadership and facilitating cooperation and collaboration so that they can better overcome shared threats.
The 10-day exercise was designed to increase combat efficiency and promote cooperation among GCC countries. The exercise focused on operational concepts and executing joint Navy operations, as well as exchanging best practices and experiences.
Sources: Saudi Press Agency, Al Defaiya