Kuwait to host GCC Ministers of Commerce and Industry to boost Gulf economic integration, entrepreneurship
The State of Kuwait will host tomorrow (Tuesday) the Ministers of Commerce and Industry of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries meetings.
The two-day event aims to strengthen economic and industrial integration, promote entrepreneurship, and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Gulf region.
The meetings will begin with the launch of the Fourth Gulf Entrepreneurship Forum, organized by the National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, reports Al-Jarida daily.
The forum features three key sessions focusing on:
- Challenges and Opportunities for the Expansion of SMEs in the Gulf Market
- Strategies for Empowering Entrepreneurs and Building Public Relations Networks
- Economic Integration of the Gulf States: Access to Markets and Government Support
This is in addition to two specialized workshops will be held — one on business presentation skills for investors, and another on commercial expansion strategies using artificial intelligence to enter new markets.
Kuwait’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Khalifa Al-Ajeel, and the GCC Secretary-General, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, will inaugurate the Third Gulf Industrial Exhibition, organized by the Public Authority for Industry.
The exhibition will feature a discussion session attended by undersecretaries of the ministries of industry from GCC member states, addressing the theme “Localizing Industry in GCC Countries Towards Sustainable Industrial Security.”
The session will also include the launch of the Gulf Industrial Platform and a ceremony honoring the winners of the 2025 Gulf Industrial Excellence Award.
On the second day, five meetings are scheduled as part of the official agenda. These include the 69th Meeting of the Trade Cooperation Committee, which will review Gulf trade cooperation programs, market integration mechanisms, and ways to facilitate the movement of goods and services, followed by the 55th Meeting of the Industrial Cooperation Committee to discuss industrial localization projects, support for Gulf factories, and joint industrial investments.
The 10th Meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Standardization Affairs will convene on Wednesday afternoon to address unified Gulf standards for industrial and commercial products, enhance consumer confidence, and promote intra-GCC trade.
The events will conclude on Wednesday with the fifth consultative meeting between Gulf trade and industry ministers and entrepreneurs, focusing on exchanging expertise, overcoming challenges facing SMEs, and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
A consultative session between GCC ministers of commerce and the heads of chambers of commerce and industry unions will also be held to strengthen public–private sector collaboration, develop joint trade strategies, and stimulate Gulf market expansion and investment.
