UAE aims to enhance growth of GCC industrial sector: Al Jaber

Dr Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, on Wednesday led a UAE delegation participating in a series of regional industrial meetings taking place in Doha, Qatar. The delegation participated in the meetings of the GCC Industrial Cooperation Committee and Ministerial Committee for Standardisation Affairs, with the aim of strengthening industrial and investment relations between GCC states.

Qatar, which currently presides over the GCC Council, chaired meetings between GCC ministers of trade and industry. Last week, another set of sessions took place involving undersecretaries of trade and industry to discuss the meetings’ agendas as well as the trends, topics and reports that would be presented at the ministerial meetings.

During the 52nd meeting of the GCC Industrial Cooperation Committee and the seventh meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Standardisation Affairs, delegates discussed enhancing cooperation in industry as well as in the field of standards and metrology. Several technical reports and strategic plans to increase cooperation between member states were also reviewed.

Dr Al Jaber conveyed the UAE leadership’s greetings and its commitment to strengthening the GCC’s relations in investment as well as partnerships in vital sectors. He thanked Qatar’s leadership and people for hosting important discussions on collaboration.

He said, “Today’s meeting is a testament to the strong industrial relations between GCC states, which is vital to supporting sustainable economic growth in the region. The GCC represents an Arab and regional model for economic cooperation and sustainable economic development.

“The UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology aims to strengthen collaboration around investment to enhance the growth and development of the industrial sector. This development is supported by deploying advanced technology to achieve the national goals of GCC member states and contributes to building a more sustainable future.”

Dr Al Jaber added, “The ministry focuses on promoting the adoption of advanced technology and sustainability in the national industrial sector through various incentives and enablers, including financing. In doing so, we are raising the competitiveness of UAE products, enhancing their quality and boosting the attractiveness of the UAE as a hub for industrial investments.

He noted that under the forward-looking vision of its leadership, the UAE had created a pioneering model for strengthening economic and development partnerships and integrating the private sector into national plans for sustainable growth.

Industrial collaboration

Dr. Al Jaber participated in the 52nd meeting of the GCC Industrial Cooperation Committee. During the meeting, delegates reviewed a report on assessing a unified definition of GCC standards, lists of goods subject to collective protections, a plan to implement a unified strategy for industrial development, and the decision to raise customs tariffs on rebar and iron coil imports. It also witnessed a presentation by the executive management of the GCC Customs Union Authority on the challenges it is addressing.

Standardisation and metrology

Dr. Al Jaber also attended the seventh meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Standardisation Affairs, during which the Chairman of the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO) delivered a presentation on the GSO’s progress and efforts from September 2023 through to March 2024.

The meeting also addressed a memorandum on specifications and standards from the GSO’s presidency regarding the adoption of 17 draft technical regulations, along with the conversion of 39 draft technical regulations into standardised specifications. It also authorised the withdrawal of two draft technical regulations.

The ministers examined several memorandums from the GSO’s presidency, which included its accounts for the fiscal year 2023, and updates on the GCC Accreditation Center (GAC). They also debated a memorandum from the GSO’s presidency on approving the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the GSO and the Russian Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology.

Members of the Ministerial Committee for Standardisation Affairs include Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce; Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce; Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Oman’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry; Abdullah Hamad Al-Joaan, Kuwait’s Minister of Trade and Industry; and Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC.

UAE delegation

The delegation accompanying Dr. Al Jaber comprised Omar Al Suwaidi, Under-Secretary of MoIAT, and Osama Amir Fadhel, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Industrial Accelerators Sector at MoIAT.

Separately, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), announced that the council’s Ministerial Committee for Standardisation Affairs has endorsed several decisions bolstering the Gulf standardisation process.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the committee has adopted 17 new draft Gulf technical regulations spanning various sectors while withdrawing two draft Gulf technical regulations.

AlBudaiwi made these remarks during his address at the seventh consultative meeting of the committee held in Doha, Qatar.

The GCC Secretary-General highlighted the committee’s discussions, which aimed to enhance product and service quality across GCC countries and ensure the safety of goods traded within the GCC Common Market.

He noted the adoption of new Gulf technical regulations, approval of the conversion of 39 Gulf technical regulations into Gulf standard specifications, and endorsement of the authority’s final account for the fiscal year 2023.

The GCC Ministerial Committee for Standardisation undertakes activities across various standardisation domains, aiming to unify standardisation efforts and ensure their implementation and adherence. This collaborative approach contributes to intra-trade development, consumer protection, environmental and public health safeguarding, and the promotion of Gulf industries.

WAM