Wednesday 07 / October / 2026
Manama: The fifteenth consultative meeting between the GCC Ministers of Commerce and Industry and the Presidents of the GCC Chambers of Commerce and Industry was held in Manama.
The delegation of the Sultanate of Oman at the meeting was led by Eng. Ghalib Said Al Maamari, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry, while the delegation of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) was led by Rashid Amer Al Maslahi, First Deputy Chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors.
The meeting focused on the importance of the relationship between the government sector and the private sector in the GCC states during the current crisis witnessed by the region, shedding light on the challenges facing the Gulf private sector and working to overcome them by providing appropriate solutions.
Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi, GCC Secretary-General, commended the vital and prominent role played by the private sector in achieving the national objectives of the GCC states and advancing the joint Gulf cooperation process.
He noted that this meeting contributes to focusing efforts with a view to reaching initiatives that support the growth of the private sector in the GCC states, so that it becomes a strong economic driver contributing to the stability of the economy and development in the and enhancing their international standing as a global financial, investment and economic hub.
On his turn, Sheikh Khalifa Jassim Mohammed Al Thani, President of the Federation of Gulf Chambers and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Qatar Chamber, stressed the importance of enhancing Gulf integration and building a more flexible trade and logistics system capable of dealing with regional and international changes and disruptions, in a manner that ensures the continuity of the flow of goods, preserves the security of markets and enhances the competitiveness of the Gulf private sector.
Meanwhile, Rashid Amer Al Maslahi, OCCI First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, explained that the consultative meeting reviewed and discussed a package of economic and strategic topics and files of paramount importance. The most prominent of these was the examination of the challenges of supply chains and transport related to containers and strategic commodity warehouses, ways to address the rise in shipping, transport and marine insurance costs, in addition to formulating a strategy to confront the accelerating geopolitical challenges.
In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), he said that the participants discussed the proposal to establish a joint digital logistics market to enhance the efficiency of trade exchange and logistics services, and shed light on the challenges of factories in Gulf free zones and ways to improve their competitiveness, as well as addressing the limited access of small and medium enterprises to the financing needed for expansion and investment across Gulf markets.
He added that the meeting affirmed the importance of sustaining close coordination between the Federation of Gulf Chambers, the General Secretariat and the relevant authorities in the GCC states, in order to reach practical and advanced solutions that contribute to removing bureaucratic and procedural restrictions and creating an attractive and stimulating investment environment for the Gulf business community.
The consultative meeting is a strategic dialogue platform that brings together policymakers and decision-makers on the one hand, and representatives of the private sector on the other. It constitutes the highest levels of communication between government officials and the private sector, with the aim of enhancing joint cooperation and stimulating economic growth in the GCC states, in addition to addressing the regional and international economic challenges facing the Gulf private sector.
