Manama: As part of Bahrain's presidency of the 46th session of the GCC Supreme Council, Shaikh Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Director of International Relations at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, chaired the 45th meeting of the GCC Common Market Committee. The gathering took place at the GCC General Secretariat headquarters in Riyadh on August 26-27 and included representatives from GCC member states, the General Secretariat, and the GCC Statistical Centre.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the meeting focused on completing the requirements of the GCC Common Market and enhancing Gulf economic integration. Participants discussed developments in cross-border trade in services and explored ways to advance the unified electronic platform, "Takamul". This platform is intended to facilitate comments and enquiries from GCC citizens, thereby improving access to the benefits of the Common Market and supporting collaborative GCC initiatives.
The GCC Common Market, initiated in January 2008 under the GCC Economic Agreement, aims to provide equal treatment to GCC citizens in any member state, without discrimination. This applies across various economic sectors, including mobility, employment, investment, real estate ownership, company establishment, education, healthcare, and social services, all of which are integral to Gulf economic integration and aligned with the aspirations of GCC citizens.