His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that the GCC states have achieved results exceeding the global average in the Social Progress Index, and social achievements that have strengthened their Gulf integration.
His Excellency's remarks came during his speech at the 11th meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Social Affairs/Development of the GCC countries, today, Thursday, September 4, 2025, in Kuwait City, chaired by Her Excellency Dr Amthal Hadi Haif Al Huwailah, Minister of Social Affairs and Family and Childhood Affairs of the State of Kuwait - President of the current session - and with the participation of Their Excellencies the Ministers of Social Affairs/Development in the GCC countries.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency extended his highest thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to His Highness Shaikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, for the State of Kuwait's hosting of this blessed meeting, and for the facilities and support it provides for the success of the work of the Cooperation Council, praising the great support that the joint Gulf action receives from their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC states, in various fields.
His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi also expressed his thanks to Her Excellency Dr Amthal Hadi Al Huwailah and all the employees of the Ministry for their generous hospitality, good reception, and organisation. At the same time, he welcomed the joining of Her Excellency Ms Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Her Excellency Ms Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, Minister of Social Development and Family in the State of Qatar, to the work of the committee, wishing them success.
His Excellency stressed that the committee plays an active role in supporting the course of joint Gulf action in the field of social development, pointing to the achievements made in past years.
"Among the most notable is the adoption of the Gulf Strategy for Combating Drugs (2025-2028) during the 45th Gulf Summit (Kuwait – December 2024), aimed at enhancing joint efforts to protect children, youth, and Gulf families from this scourge. Additionally, all member states of the GCC are expected to achieve scores above the global average (64 points) on the Global Social Progress Index for 2025. The GCC General Secretariat will organise an event on April 16, 2025, to honour one young man and one young woman from each Gulf state, in recognition of their creativity and initiatives that contribute to the advancement of their countries. This event has resulted in ideas and programmes that are being developed to enhance the profile of Gulf youth," His Excellency said.
His Excellency the Secretary General also explained that the committee meeting discussed many vital topics in the social field, foremost among them, the Gulf Strategy for Combating Drugs (2025-2028), the committee's action plan for the period (2026-2030), the joint charitable and humanitarian action plan (2025-2030), and the joint volunteer action plan (2026-2030). His Excellency stressed that these plans and initiatives would deepen social integration among the GCC countries and maximise the benefit from common gains.
At the conclusion of his speech, His Excellency extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to Their Excellencies the Ministers for their participation in the meeting, praising the efforts of the undersecretaries of the ministries and the technical committees and their fruitful cooperation with the General Secretariat and the Executive Office of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs in the GCC countries in the preparation for the committee's work, wishing everyone continued success.
