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GCC ministers discuss steps to enhance regional industry

ABU DHABI — The economic managers of AGCC member nations at their meeting in Doha, yesterday, discussed issues relating to enhancement of the regional industry to boost competitiveness, strengthen inter-Gulf trade, and eliminate technical obstacles to trade.

Among the specific topics covered were secretariat general memoranda on the adoption of regional technical regulations, price effects of the new Gulf standard specifications, adoption of the final count, opinions on the Gulf unified standardisation system, the implementation of work guides within subcommittees on standardisdation and metrology, the work guide for the steering committee on standardisation and metrology, and the appointment of the secretary-general of the standardisation organisation .

The UAE Ministry of Economy participated in three major meetings on Gulf trade cooperation, standardisation and industrial cooperation in Qatar.

Engr. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, led the UAE delegation.

The 38th meeting of the Gulf Trade Cooperation Committee discussed various issues covering regional commerce, including obstacles to commercial exchange, equal rights to economic activities among GCC citizens, Gulf trademark laws, the uniform code on the supervision and control of the regional insurance companies sector, agreements between the Secretariat General and various regional and international organisations, recommendations on price increases as well as the meeting report of the World Trade Organisation Committee.

On the other hand, the eighth meeting of the GCC Standardisation Organisation Board of Directors discussed developments in the organisation's goal of coordinating standardisation activities across the Gulf to protect public health and the environment.

The final meeting, the 27th assembly of the Gulf Industrial Cooperation Committee, discussed the proposal of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to accelerate industrial performance and remove obstacles to regional collaboration.

Discussions specifically covered mechanisms for protecting national industrial products, unifying the permit form for new industrial projects, advisory board views on enhancing the work environment to complement the Gulf's private sector; conferences between regional businesses and their counterparts from other countries and economic groups; the resource rules project for the Gulf; recommendations for the 11th GCC Industrialists Conference; and recommendations of the working team of industry committees in the GCC chambers.

"These meetings promote trade and industrial cooperation among GCC countries by developing a unified regional market that ensures equal competition for industrial and commercial projects. They also help diversify national sources of income by encouraging the development of industrial and commercial sectors; establishing sophisticated and modern industries based on available natural resources; and creating industries that can effectively compete within the international markets," concluded Al Mansouri.