Kuwait has called for the launch of a Gulf monetary union and single currency – due in 2010 – to be delayed so it could address technical issues. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain signed an accord in June to create a joint monetary union council as a prelude to a Gulf central bank. This would be followed by the launch of a single currency, though observers said the target date was optimistic. United Arab Emirates and Oman withdrew from the project earlier this year. These withdrawals dealt a blow to further economic integration in the oil-rich region.