His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and His Excellency Mr Ian Saunders, Secretary General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), signed an addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides today, Friday (October 16, 2026), in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
During the signing ceremony, both sides expressed their determination that this MoU addendum will contribute to bolstering cooperation between the GCC and the WCO.
His Excellency the Secretary General stated that, building upon the MoU signed previously on December 15, 2017, and in light of the GCC Customs Union Authority commencing its competencies and responsibilities regarding customs union affairs as one of the operational bodies within the institutional framework of the GCC General Secretariat, this addendum was signed today. Its first article stipulates that the "GCC Customs Union Authority" shall be the designated entity responsible for all matters concerning cooperation, representation, communication, coordination, and all other issues relevant to the implementation of the MoU, His Excellency stated.
Additionally, a bilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, during which several topics of mutual interest were reviewed and discussed. These foremost included exploring prospects for customs cooperation between the two sides, ways to boost coordination mechanisms and exchange expertise, contributing to backing the efforts of GCC member states in developing their customs systems and enhancing GCC customs integration, and serving the shared interests of both sides.
