Encountering the accelerating global developments The world has witnessed important developments in the field of international trade which highly impacted the global economy in general and Gulf economies in particular. In 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded and it had a direct impact on Arab and Gulf foreign trade. In fact, while Arab countries constantly seek to find international markets for their exports, they also find themselves in the face of a series of obligations set by virtue of their accession to the WTO. The Organization is the global regulator of international trade: it determines the rights and obligations of member states towards each other. In an effort to spread knowledge regarding the WTO regulations, the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) organises a training workshop entitled “WTO regulations: their repercussions on the GCC industrial sector” at GOIC’s headquarters from the 25th till the 28th of May, 2015. GOIC aims at developing capacities of professionals working in the Gulf industrial sector through this workshop, by introducing WTO regulations and discussing their repercussions on the sectors of industry and services in GCC countries. The training also includes an exchange of opinions and expertise between representatives of the private sector and heads of institutions in charge of standards in the area of understanding and using WTO’s regulations and mechanisms. This course targets representatives of the private sector and of institutions in charge of specifications and standards, in addition to parties interested in WTO rules. Furthermore, the course stresses available capabilities in the context of the WTO, notably in terms of developing the industrial sector and adopting exporting strategies. Participants get to know available mechanisms to protect branches of industrial production in GCC countries, and they become familiar with methods allowing them to access information on the markets and the capacity to access new markets. The training includes various topics such as: introducing WTO rules that affect the industrial sector the most during all phases related to production, marketing, importing and exporting, going through detailed rules of WTO agreements and aspects related to understanding and using the available rules and mechanisms by government institutions and organizations in charge of standards and specifications and the private sector for the benefit of the industrial sector and the services sector. The workshop is delivered by Dr. Hassan Abu Taher who has a wide expertise in economic policies, financial affairs, global trade and economic cooperation. Dr. Abu Taher has held ministerial, consular, advisory and administrative positions at the World Trade Organization. He was the chief adviser for WTO affairs to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in the United Arab Emirates and the permanent representative of Morocco at the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. The Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) continuously seeks to boost individual and organizational capacities within the industrial sector of GCC countries and Yemen through its training courses. You can easily register to attend any workshop by visiting the Organization’s website www.goic.org.qa or via Facebook or Twitter.