History in the Gulf

The UNICEF Gulf Area Office (GAO) is currently based in Riyadh. It is responsible for UNICEF activities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

It is called an area office because, unlike country and sub-offices, it covers more than one country.

It was formed in 1987 through the consolidation of country offices in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Its formation reflected the thinking that social and economic development in the Gulf merited the upgrading of UNICEF support from the more traditional country programmes, often with a service delivery orientation, to an enhanced level with emphasis on social mobilization, national capacity building, advocacy and communication. It also marked the evolution among the countries of socio-economic cooperation with a Gulf area perspective.

UNICEF's work for children in the Gulf had begun decades earlier. The basic cooperation agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UNICEF was signed on 4 July 1961. Before 1975 UNICEF cooperation with Saudi Arabia was provided through the Beirut Regional Office. In 1975 UNICEF opened a Liaison Office in Riyadh. This was upgraded to a Country Office in 1981, and the Gulf Area Office in 1987.