His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stated that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an active and pivotal role in achieving the national visions of GCC member states and advancing the journey of joint Gulf action.
His Excellency’s remarks came during his address at the 6th Consultative Meeting between Their Excellencies the Ministers of Commerce and Industry of the GCC and Gulf Entrepreneurs, held today, Tuesday (October 6, 2026), in the Bahraini capital, Manama, chaired by His Excellency Mr Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce in the Kingdom of Bahrain and Chairman of the current session, and in the presence of Their Excellencies the Ministers of Commerce and Industry of the GCC member states alongside Gulf entrepreneurs.
During his address, His Excellency the Secretary General stated that the 6th Consultative Meeting serves to identify the challenges and obstacles confronting this sector, actively work to overcome them, and devise appropriate solutions, guided by the directives of Their Majesties and Highnesses the Leaders of the GCC states to prioritise SMEs and empower them to play an effective role in achieving economic integration among member states, while sustaining efforts to foster an enabling and integrative environment for their growth.
In the same vein, His Excellency pointed out that the consultative meeting reaffirms the importance of public-private partnerships, particularly with SMEs, and underscores the commitment to establishing a dialogue platform between policymakers, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs. This engagement aims to support and accelerate economic growth across GCC states while addressing the regional and international economic challenges confronting the Gulf private sector.
