Public Authority for Industry participates in Gulf industrial and standardization cooperation meetings in Bahrain

Kuwait, represented by State Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment and Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdulaziz Al-Marzouq, and by Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Industry Shamlan Al-Jahdali, participated in the meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Industrial Cooperation Committee and the GCC Ministerial Committee for Standardization Affairs, held in Manama.

In a statement received by KUNA, the Public Authority for Industry said that the 57th session of the Industrial Cooperation Committee discussed a number of topics and files aimed at enhancing GCC industrial integration and supporting the competitiveness of the industrial sector in the GCC states. It highlighted that among the key topics were defining the GCC national product, localization standards, and value-added criteria, including the Omani-Kuwaiti proposal, as well as studying the establishment of GCC strategic storage zones for food, pharmaceuticals, and other necessities.

The meeting also discussed the executive plan for lists of goods subject to collective protection, and revised controls for exempting industrial inputs from customs duties. Furthermore, it reviewed developments at the GCC Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digital transformation in Gulf factories, aligning with technological advancements and supporting the GCC states’ orientation toward developing the industrial sector.

In the same context, Kuwait participated in the 12th session of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Standardization Affairs, which discussed several important topics, including the adoption of draft GCC technical regulations, approval of the budget of the GCC Standardization Organization for the financial year 2027, and a review of the organization’s chairman’s report on its operations, activities, achievements, and outputs of the GCC technical committees during the period from April to August 2026.

The meeting also explored ways to develop the GCC standardization system and enhance coordination and integration among national standardization bodies, contributing to the harmonization of specifications and technical regulations, supporting intra-GCC trade, reducing technical barriers to trade, and enhancing the competitiveness of GCC products and services.

Kuwait’s participation in both meetings underscores its commitment to supporting joint GCC cooperation in the fields of industry and standardization, strengthening economic integration among GCC states, and contributing to the development of the industrial sector, raising the competitiveness of GCC products, and supporting sustainable economic development.