The Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) hosted the fourth GCC non-oil exporting strategy workshop on Sunday, February 8, 2015 in cooperation with the GCC Secretariat-General and in the presence of representatives from different GCC countries, chambers of commerce and industry and the Secretariat-General and international experts in World Trade Organization (WTO) matters and ESCWA at GOIC’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar. His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Bin Khamis Al-Mukhaini, Assistant Secretary General for Industrial Information and Studies inaugurated the workshop by delivering a speech in which he welcomed all participants. Mr. Al-Mukhaini said that throughout two days, the workshop would discuss topics related to the third stage of the study and any amendments and updates that took place based on the third workshop. His Excellency wished participants great success in achieving the objectives of the workshop, particularly boosting Gulf exports. The sessions were chaired by Dr. Hilal Al-Mukhaini, Director of the Commerce and Industry Department at the GCC Secretariat-General. GOIC experts from the Industrial Studies and Policies Program then delivered a presentation about the path and stages of the study. They highlighted the outcomes of the third stage of the study according to its components and outputs, and then participants discussed the results and recommendations of this stage. They included the preparation of the strategy document, the general framework of the executive plan, the strategic objectives of the stage and the execution, follow-up and evaluation requirements. The objectives of the strategy are to assist GCC countries in achieving economic diversification and expanding income sources and citizens’ wealth. This strategy is to form a guideline for GCC countries to increase their non-oil exports in the medium term (5 years) and long term (15 years). The strategy also aims at increasing GCC non-oil exports, expanding their geographic distribution, boosting SMEs’ participation in non-oil industrial exports and providing a national legislative environment and policies to develop GCC non-oil industrial exports. It also seeks to develop national institutions to develop, finance and guarantee non-oil industrial exports and maximise the benefit from international trade agreements by using their regulations and flexibility to develop non-oil industrial exports and strengthen the negotiation position of GCC countries. Furthermore, foreign direct investments are to be increased in the area of GCC non-oil industrial exports. The examination of the strategy focuses on non-oil exports, notably industrial exports including knowledge-based industries, vital industries and others. It has been prepared by GOIC experts in cooperation with an external research team led by Dr. Jamal Daoud Salman.