HE Obaid Humaid Al Tayer heads UAE delegation at Committee on Financial and Economic Cooperation meeting

The meeting pertains to a paper on Qatar's views on activating the role of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

UAE's participation marks its commitment to promoting economic integration among GCC countries and removing obstacles that impede an integrated GCC Federation. This initiative is in line with the directives of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE, and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai in this regard.

Topics covered by the Qatari paper include the GCC Customs Union, investment in joint projects between GCC countries, procedures ensuring employment opportunities to GCC citizens in member States, joint investments in health care and education as also the draft convention on the currency union and the establishment of a joint Gulf Bank.

Commenting on UAE's participation in the meeting, HE Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs said,

"Our involvement is a part of UAE's ongoing efforts aimed at promoting cooperation among GCC countries in order to achieve economic integration. This meeting comes inline with the importance of discussing the views of member states so that its decisions are implemented to serve the economic integration in the GCC."

The meeting will discuss steps proposed by the Secretariat of GCC and Arab Gulf states for activating GCC role in economic cooperation, in line with the Qatari vision. Moreover, it will discuss reports of the Deputy Ministers of Finance meeting and the Joint Meeting of the deputies of Finance, Trade and Industry Ministries, held on September 6-7 2009 in Jeddah.

The UAE delegation consists of HE Younis Haji Al Khouri, Director General of the Ministry of Finance, HE Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Executive Director of International Financial Relations, Mr. Majid Ali Omran, Director of International Financial Relations Department and Mr. Hamad Al Zaabi, Director of the Office of the Minister, Mr. Ibrahim Hassan Al Jarwan, Head of Cooperation & Arab States Department, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed al-Bakr, Director of Legal Affairs of the Federal Customs Authority.