Top Gulf trade officials have fast-tracked a sweeping plan to shield regional commerce from geopolitical shocks and rewrite the rules of cross-border manufacturing, as Bahrain hosted the ninth extraordinary meeting of the GCC Undersecretaries of Industry.
Driven by a matter of regional urgency, the high-level summit mobilised industry leaders from across the bloc, the GCC General Secretariat, and the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) to dismantle trade barriers and aggressively secure vulnerable supply chains.
Industry and Commerce Ministry under-secretary Eman Al Doseri opened the session with a stark reminder that current “exceptional circumstances” globally and regionally have made economic resilience a matter of absolute priority.
“Recent developments have underscored the importance of strengthening the resilience of Gulf supply chains,” Ms Al Doseri said. “We are actively working to remove any hurdles that could slow down trade or hinder the smooth flow of GCC-made goods between member states.”
To achieve this, the extraordinary session focused heavily on standardising and protecting regional manufacturing through critical policy updates. Delegates hammered out details on a new localisation criterion designed to refine the exact definition of a “GCC national product” and streamline the movement of goods across borders.
The meeting also moved to finalise the implementation plan for a unified list of goods subject to collective customs protection, creating a regulatory shield for core Gulf industries. Ultimately, these measures are aimed at fuelling the region’s broader economic diversification strategies, helping non-oil sectors claim a larger share of the bloc’s GDP.
Echoing the urgency for deep integration, Osama Amir Fadhel, assistant under-secretary for industrial accelerators at the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, emphasised that industry remains the primary engine for making Gulf economies adaptable to shifting global markets.
The high-level talks also served as a critical staging ground for the region’s next major industrial showcase.
Dr Khalid Al Alawi, assistant under-secretary for industrial development at the Industry and Commerce Ministry confirmed that preparations are now fully underway for Bahrain to host the prestigious ‘Made in GCC’ forum and exhibition this October.
The blockbuster event is expected to draw a massive turnout of senior policymakers, international investors, and leading industrial manufacturers from multiple sectors, showcasing the bloc’s emerging muscle as a unified economic powerhouse.
avinash@gdnmedia.bh