Chairman of the Jeddah-based Gulf Research Centre, Dr Abdulaziz Sager, warned it signalled a spread of extremism.
He added terrorist groups were now using Yemen as a base from which to conduct operations and called on the GCC to intervene.
Foothold
"They are using Yemen as a platform to launch their operations," he said.
"The GCC governments should look into this issue seriously.
"On the other hand, we see the rise of Islamist parties in the region – which is a signal for GCC governments to be careful."
Islamists have already claimed a foothold in Egypt, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, where the Muslim Brotherhood has swept to power on the back of the so-called Arab Spring.
