By: Yasser bin Salem Al-Husseini

As part of ongoing cooperation and coordination to support industrial development in the GCC countries, His Excellency Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), participated in the joint coordination meeting held at the headquarters of the GCC Standardization Organization in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 1 December. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Eng. Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al-Mana, President of the GCC Standardization Organization, and attended by His Excellency Dr. Sulaiman bin Masoud Al-Ghafri, Executive Director of the GCC Customs Union Authority.

The meeting was held in response to an invitation from His Excellency Eng. Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al-Mana to participate in the organization’s meetings, reflecting the GCC Standardization Organization’s commitment to enhancing integration among GCC institutions and coordinating efforts among entities concerned with industrial development, in line with the vision of the GCC General Secretariat to strengthen joint GCC cooperation.

Within this context, GOIC presented current and future GCC industrial trends, emphasizing the importance of standards in ensuring quality and enhancing the competitiveness of Gulf products.

The GCC Standardization Organization reviewed the key features of its Strategic Standardization Plan (2026–2030) and highlighted its main initiatives supporting product safety and strengthening industrial and trade integration among GCC member states, in line with its vision to support the Gulf economy in coordination with member states and relevant stakeholders. The presentation also highlighted the role of Gulf standards and conformity assessment systems, in addition to key digital platforms supporting standardization activities and related services within the organization and member states.

For its part, the GCC Customs Union Authority delivered a presentation on the latest developments in the implementation of the GCC Customs Union, outlining key challenges facing GCC markets regarding the safety of traded and imported products, as well as monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants discussed several future integration pathways aimed at developing strategic partnerships that contribute to enhancing product reliability in Gulf markets, improving the flow of goods, and supporting industrial and economic development objectives. These efforts will help strengthen the regional and global position of Gulf industry. It was also agreed to form technical teams representing the relevant entities concerned with industrial development, while emphasizing the importance of continuing such meetings to enhance consultation, unify efforts, and achieve the goals of joint GCC action.