Minister of Industry and Electricity Dr. Hashim Ibn Abdullah Yamani led the Saudi delegation at the 17th meeting in Kuwait today of the industry ministers of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In his opening speech, Kuwaiti Minister of Trade and Industry Abdul Aziz Al-Dakheel said that international developments demand that the world be free of customs barriers, and underlined the importance of acquiring the skills for the production of commodities that suit the requirements of the international market. He went on to say that realizing industrial integration is a strategic goal for confronting the economic and political dangers caused by global changes. Taking these facts into account, the GCC member states have been attaching great importance to the industrial sector, viewing it as a means of diversifying sources of income and creating job opportunities for nationals.

The meeting issued a number of resolutions, including approval of the unified industrial strategy to be presented to the GCC leaders at their meeting in Abu Dhabi next December. The meeting also reviewed a memorandum submitted by the GCC secretariat general on means for overcoming obstacles to commercial exchange for industrial products among the GCC member states; approved extension of incentives to Gulf industries as well as the establishment of industrial zones in the GCC member states; and endorsed the organization of a conference for Gulf industrialists in Qatar in October of 1999 for the purpose of discussing issues pertaining to national manpower.

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