GCC Citizenship, Rights and Duties in focus at GCC-SG workshop

GCC-SG Joint Action resolutions explained

Dubai, 25thof September 2014: An introductory workshop on the GCC Joint Action decision was organised in Dubai yesterday (Wednesday)by the Secretariat General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Finance. Entitled ‘GCC Citizenship - Rights and Duties’, the workshop was attended by economic experts and top officials from economic sectors and other sectors in the GCC member states.

In the opening session, H.E Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said: “The GCC-SG primarily aims to achieve five strategic goals: protect the independence of the member states;enable member states to deal with crises and threats;highlight the council’s position regionally and internationally;, maintain a high rate of human development; and increase sustainable economic growth in the member states.”

His Excellency said in a speech delivered, on his behalf, by H.E Abdullah bin Juma Al Shibli, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs: “The integration process of the GCC member states is taking steady and deliberate steps, overcoming all challenges, and seeinga series of successes and unprecedented complementary achievements. This edifice, with the effective mechanisms it provided to the process of GCC joint action, has become aexemplary role model for regional and Arab cooperation and integration and a key instrument to keeping security and stability in the GCC region and the Middle East.” 

H.EYounis Haji Khouri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, said: “The UAE is totally committed to every effort that may drive the process of integration forward and implement GCC citizenship in accordance with the directives of Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC countries, with the ultimate aim of achieving the aspirations of the GCC people in greater cooperation, prosperity and welfare. Cooperation has become a must in the light of the regional and international changes faced by the GCC countries and a guarantee for stability and socio-economic security.”

Younis Khouri added: “The UAE is leading the way in terms of implementation of the resolutions related to joint action, in general, and the GCC common market in particular, with statistics showing that the number of trade licenses given to GCC citizens to practice economic activities in the UAE has seen 525.77% growth in the period from 2000 to 2013. GCC citizens can trade shares of 79 listed companies in the UAE in 2013 (75.2% of the listed companies), compared to 55 companies in 2006.”

In conclusion Khouri called upon the concerned parties in the GCC member states to take the necessary actions for completing the issuance of the necessary legislative and executive measures of the remaining resolutions.

The list of speakers in the workshop included many GCC-SG’s officials, including Dr Hilal bin Mohammed Al Mukhaili from the Commerce and Industry Department, Mr Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Haif, from the Custom Union Department, Mr Saud bin Abdulaziz Bu Saq, Monetary and Finance Department, Mr Abdullah bin Muhana Al Kharousi, from Labour and Social Services Department, Dr Ahmed bin Mousa Al Dhubaian, from Cultural and Media Affairs Department, and Ms Honouf bint Ahmed Al Essa, Director of Statistics Department in the GCC-SG.