Rana Al-Faris: Outcomes of Gulf Anti-Corruption Ministers' Meeting Enhance Integration and Solidify Transparency

Nada Abu Nasr: Dr. Rana Al-Faris, President of the Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nazaha), confirmed that the twelfth meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Combating Corruption in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, held in the sister Kingdom of Bahrain, constituted an important milestone for enhancing joint Gulf efforts and developing cooperation and coordination mechanisms among member states in the field of combating corruption, as well as consolidating the principles of integrity and transparency.

Al-Faris explained, in a statement following the meeting, that among the key outcomes was the adoption of a working mechanism for the Expert Committee on Combating Corruption in the GCC countries, which was prepared by the Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nazaha), with the aim of organizing the committee’s work, enhancing the effectiveness of coordination, exchanging expertise, and unifying perspectives on common issues related to combating corruption.

She added that the Ministerial Committee emphasized the importance of leveraging the outcomes of the Gulf workshop on identifying beneficial ownership, hosted by the State of Kuwait in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and with the participation of relevant authorities from GCC countries and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), given that it represents a supportive step toward enhancing transparency and combating financial crimes linked to concealing the true beneficial owner.

She pointed out that these results reflect the GCC countries’ commitment to developing an integrated Gulf system for combating corruption, based on the exchange of knowledge and expertise and the adoption of international best practices, thereby contributing to raising the efficiency of preventive efforts and strengthening governance and integrity across various sectors.