Jassim Al-Badawi: Enhancing Gulf Competitiveness by Accelerating Unity... Economically, Customs-wise, and Market-wise
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council called for accelerating economic unity, the customs union, and the common market to enhance the competitiveness of member states' economies amid global changes.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
KUNA – The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Al-Bedaiwi, said in Manama that accelerating the paths toward economic unity and completing the customs union and the Common Market of the Gulf Cooperation Council are pillars for enhancing the competitiveness of the GCC states’ economies, consolidating their capacity to confront global changes, and achieving sustainable development.
This was stated in Al-Bedaiwi’s speech during the 10th meeting of the Standing Preparatory Committee at the ministerial level of the Economic and Development Affairs Authority of the GCC states.
Al-Bedaiwi said that the Standing Preparatory Committee at the ministerial level of the Economic and Development Affairs Authority of the GCC states is gaining increasing importance in supporting and monitoring these projects through policy-making, initiatives, and practical projects, thereby achieving tangible impact on the process of economic integration among the GCC states.
The Secretary-General added that the meeting is held amid rapid economic and geopolitical changes, which underscore the importance of enhancing coordination and integration among the GCC states, raising their capacities and joint integration, anticipating changes and their repercussions, and dealing with them efficiently and flexibly to mitigate their impact on the GCC states’ economies and enhance their readiness, resilience, and ability to adapt and respond.
He also highlighted the importance of leveraging the effects of these developments to support growth and economic diversification, enhance competitiveness, support localization programs, and achieve sustainable development, especially since the leaders of the GCC states emphasized in their consultative meeting held in Jeddah on April 28, 2026, the importance of accelerating the attainment of the desired economic integration, including completing the requirements for reaching the final stage of the customs union, implementing the targets of the Common Market of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the ground, and expediting the implementation of the railway project.
