Kuwait to Discuss Enhancing 'Industrial Integration' and Standardization at Gulf Meetings in Manama - Sarmad

(KUNA) — Kuwait participated in the 57th meeting of the Industrial Cooperation Committee and the 12th meeting of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Standardization Affairs, held today in Manama on Tuesday. The delegation was 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.

In a statement received by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the Public Authority for Industry said that the 57th session of the Industrial Cooperation Committee discussed several topics and files aimed at enhancing GCC industrial integration and supporting the competitiveness of the industrial sector in the GCC countries.

It clarified that among the key topics and files were the definition of the GCC national product, localization and value-added standards, including the Omani-Kuwaiti proposal, as well as a study on establishing 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’ directions 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 fiscal 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 the two meetings underscores its commitment to supporting the joint GCC cooperation process in the fields of industry and standardization, enhancing 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.