DOHA: The GCC states are working to develop regional sea transport to further consolidate their economic integration.
Plans are afoot to float a regional company that would promote sea transport as a means of furthering trade among the member-states. This was disclosed by GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullateef bin Rashid Al Zayani here yesterday.
In his opening address to a meeting of GCC transport ministers, he said that on agenda was a discussion on forming a joint GCC company for marine transport.
The company will run sea transport services among member countries to help regional economic integration.
Later, Qatar’s Transport Minister H E Jassim Seif Ahmed Al Sulaiti said it has been decided to set up a GCC Marine Services Committee to ensure the success of regional sea transport.
He told reporters on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting that the panel is one of the five committees the ministers decided to set up.
The committees will make sure that joint GCC projects meant to push economic integration, including regional transportation-related projects, are delivered on time.
It was also decided to form an autonomous GCC authority for regional ports that would look after regional land and sea transport services.
Al Sulaiti said that in the next two months, a time frame will be announced to complete the ambitious GCC railway project.
Yesterday’s meeting, he said, had also decided to unify all road and transport-related signs and sign boards, including traffic guidelines, at the GCC level.
Talking about the GCC rail project, the Minister said Salwa area in Saudi Arabia will be one of the important junctions of the regional rail network.
The meeting also discussed means of inviting tenders for the regional rail project and important junctions of the network.
In his opening address to the ministerial meeting, Al Sulaiti reiterated that overall plans for regional economic integration included a network of highways and diversification of transportation options for GCC nationals and goods.
This was the 19th meeting of the GCC transport ministers. The previous one was held in Kuwait in October last year.
The greatest achievement in the realm of the regional railway project has been the establishment of a GCC railway authority tasked with supervising the mega project.
“The rail project will help meet the aspirations of the people of the GCC,” said the Minister in his opening remarks as he chaired the ministerial meeting.
The Peninsula
