Customs President leads Bahrain’s delegation at 16th GCC Customs Union meeting

Riyadh, Feb. 10 (BNA): Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of Customs, led Bahrain’s delegation to the 16th Executive Council meeting of the GCC Customs Union, held in Saudi Arabia, with representatives from all GCC member states.

Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad emphasised that Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, continues to support GCC cooperation and economic integration. He noted that facilitating trade and investment is essential for developing Gulf economies and enhancing their regional and global competitiveness.

The Customs President added that Bahrain’s participation reflects its ongoing support for initiatives and decisions aimed at strengthening the Customs Union and improving mechanisms that remove barriers and facilitate the flow of goods across GCC states.

The council reviewed agenda items including the decisions of the 49th Supreme Council session and their implementation, updates from technical committees and working groups, and the need to accelerate work on GCC Customs Union projects, particularly the mutual recognition of first-entry ports.

Discussions also covered strategic plan projects and operational activities for 2026, as well as the latest developments in the GCC customs data exchange platform and its upcoming phases.