Gulf Emergency: Enhancing cooperation with research institutions to raise readiness and handle risks

Kuwait City, 28 September (KUNA) -- The Commander of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Emergency Management Center, Brigadier General Dr. Rashid Al-Mari, stressed today the importance of enhancing cooperation and coordination between the Center and Gulf research institutions, and of leveraging scientific and technical expertise to support efforts aimed at raising readiness levels and improving responses to various risks.

Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after receiving the Director General of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Dr. Faisal Al-Humaidan, at the Center’s headquarters, Al-Mari said the Center serves as a link to strengthen coordination and the exchange of information and expertise among GCC member states during emergencies and crises, thereby contributing to faster response times, higher readiness levels, and enhanced capacity to handle emergency situations through common operational mechanisms.

He added that the Center works to monitor and track potential risks and threats, and to exchange relevant data and information with competent authorities in GCC member states, in addition to supporting efforts to develop early warning systems and enhance integration among agencies concerned with emergency and crisis management.

Al-Mari highlighted the importance of cooperation with scientific and research institutions in GCC countries, and of utilizing their expertise and capabilities to develop tools for monitoring, analyzing, and predicting risks, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the joint GCC response system.

He noted that during the meeting, an agreement was reached on a cooperation mechanism between the GCC Emergency Management Center and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, aimed at strengthening the exchange of expertise and information, and leveraging the scientific, research, and technical capacities of both parties to develop joint work areas related to risk monitoring, prediction, and raising readiness, preparedness, and emergency response levels.

During the visit, Al-Humaidan and the accompanying delegation were briefed on the Center’s tasks and mandates, the operational mechanisms of the central operations room, and the monitoring and early warning systems, as well as the coordination mechanisms and information exchange procedures among competent authorities in the GCC member states in the fields of emergencies, crises, and health risks. (End) A.A. / A.M.H.