Gulf trade and industry ministers hold 15th consultative meeting in Manama

The 15th consultative meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council ministers of commerce and industry, along with heads of chambers of commerce and industry, was held in Manama yesterday. Participants focused on the importance of strengthening ties between the public and private sectors in GCC countries.

During his address, Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of the Federation of GCC Chambers and Chairman of Qatar Chamber, stressed the need to build a more flexible and resilient commercial and logistics system to cope with regional and international changes and disruptions. He said this would ensure the continued flow of goods, safeguard market security, and boost the competitiveness of the Gulf private sector.

Al Thani also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the GCC General Secretariat in maintaining communication and coordination with the federation. He noted that the meeting was an important opportunity to enhance practical dialogue between governments and the private sector, and to turn lessons learned from current challenges into actionable policies and initiatives.

Strengthening cooperation and safeguarding supply chains

Participants said the meeting would help bolster the Gulf economy’s ability to protect trade continuity and supply chains, support private sector competitiveness, and ensure market security in the face of future disruptions.