LOC10:37
07:37 GMT
By Bader Al-Sharhan (Interview)
KUWAIT, Dec 2 (KUNA) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are working on different fronts to further boost their economies, from connecting the six members by railroad, diversifying income, attracting foreign investments, which would eventually create more jobs for citizens, the bloc's chief said.
"The railroad is one of the major joint Gulf projects and has been progressing at different levels, as some members completed the tracks within their territories like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and other countries are working on finalizing the necessary technical procedures," Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi said Tuesday.
Al-Budaiwi, in an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), said the railroad project, scheduled to be operational by December 2030, would facilitate inter-GCC trade, create jobs, help domestic support industries, attract foreign investment, involve private sector and reduce highwaysآ’ maintenance cost.
He said the train service was expected to carry around six million passengers by 2030 and eight million in 2045. "This will certainly contribute to increasing transport among the GCC countries, especially alongside huge investment in the tourism sector," he added.
Asked about the so-called "one-stop" travel system, Al-Budaiwi explained it allowed Gulf nationals to travel from one Gulf country to another without needing to pass through immigration counters at arrival points because passengers would be identified by facial recognition cameras.
The passengers, he added, who would walk through a special lane for the Gulf trips, could immediately head to collect his/her luggage and leave the airport.
"The advantage is reducing pressure on immigration counters and contributing to the smooth flow of passengers, reducing waiting time for passengers and making them happy," said Al-Budaiwi.
This project would be implemented in phases, he said, and all Gulf citizens and expatriates would benefit from it.
Asked about reducing dependency on oil and diversifying income, Al-Budaiwi said the six-member GCC saw big progress towards diversifying income based on "ambitious visions and wide-scale economic reforms."
These efforts, he went on, boost non-oil sectors, which contributed to 76 percent, or USD 1.7 trillion, to the GCC gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, driven by noticeable growth in tourism, logistical services, technology, renewable energy and manufacturing industries.
The GCC countries, he said, also improved their investment and entrepreneurship environments, as well as the role of the private sector.
Despite progress in economic diversification, he said, oil would remain a key component in world energy security and stability.
Al-Budaiwi also said the GCC made large strides towards renewable energy and green economy, as the region was witnessing huge solar and wind projects, considered among the biggest worldwide, like Mohammad bin Rashed Solar Park in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the NEOM clean energy in Saudi Arabia, Hydrogen projects in Oman and the Shaqaya solar energy park in Kuwait, as well as other ventures in Qatar and Bahrain.
Arab Gulf countries adopted strategies aimed at improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and increasing clean energy contribution, he said, making the GCC a driving force towards sustainable and secure energy.
Al-Budaiwi spoke about the free trade agreements with third countries and organizations, saying the first FTA was signed with Lebanon in 2004, Singapore in 2008 and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2009. FTA negotiations stopped because of the international financial crisis. Negotiations resumed and were ongoing with the UK, Turkiye, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia.
Asked about compliance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (2015-30), Al-Budaiwi said the GCC achieved 80-90 percent of the health and education goals, with over 70 percent compliance with other SDGs in the past few years.
He cited the 2025 global sustainable development report which indicated that Gulf countries' compliance with SDGs was above average regarding clean energy (SDG Seven), innovation and industry (SDG Nine), which was driven by renewable energy projects and economic diversification.
The Secretary General said GCC improved education, reduced child mortality rate, expanded social protection programs, while major cities witnessed less emissions.
Asked how youth empowerment contributes to economic and social development, Al-Budaiwi said it resulted in more productivity, boosted entrepreneurship, innovation, transition to knowledge-based and digital economy, in addition to reducing dependency on foreign workers.
Empowerment, he added, promoted social stability and sense of belonging, improved voluntary initiatives and quality of life.
Youth empowerment is a strategic choice supported by the GCC leaders, thus guaranteeing sustainable development through investing in human capital.
Improving human development index is based on promoting health, education and income, major components in the global index.
Al-Budaiwi said the Gulf countries were expanding health services and preventive medicine, updating curricula, diversifying the economy and creating jobs.
"It is due to these endeavors, the Gulf countries are classified very high regarding human development, and they contribute to improve this index in line with their future national visions," he said.
Meanwhile, Al-Budaiwi said the Arab Gulf countries have witnessed remarkable development in health, social and sport sectors, citing health insurance, supporting social cohesion, building new sport facilities to host major international competitions thus promoting sport diplomacy, and how sport could effectively develop health society.
"This development reflects the keenness of the GCC countries to building healthier and prosperous communities, achieving comprehensive development and boosting its status globally," he said.
Founded in 1981, the GCC consists of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. (end)
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