Kuwait, October 14 (QNA) - The Technical Council of the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), in its 61st meeting convened in Kuwait, has approved the Gulf Standardization Strategy 2026-2030 ahead of its endorsement by the Ministerial Committee on Standardization Affairs.

The move marks a significant turning point in the Gulf standardization journey, representing a strategic advancement toward strengthening economic integration among the member states, placing the empowerment of Gulf industries and the enhancement of their competitive capacity at the forefront of Gulf priorities.

The GSO's new strategy aligns with the Supreme Council of the GCC and its gracious orientations toward achieving economic integration and fostering the joint Gulf market, which effectively integrates with the GCC General Secretariat's policies in reinforcing inter-trade and streamlining the flow of commodities, highlighted HE President of GSO Eng. Nawaf Ibrahim Al Mana.

His Excellency affirmed that the GSO Strategic Plan (2026–2030) is based on an integrated partnership with national standardization bodies to issue harmonized standards and regulations linked to conformity assessment services and product safety.

It also seeks to develop a flexible operational efficiency model through process improvement and enhanced institutional effectiveness to promote quality of life and consumer product safety, accelerate the impact of standardization on the industrial sector, and strengthen the competitiveness of Gulf products regionally and globally, he highlighted.

Elaborating on the potential economic impact of the enforcement of this strategy, Al Mana outlined that the new strategy aims to reduce compliance costs, foster confidence in Gulf products, and minimize recall risks through the harmonization of technical requirements, implementation of mutual recognition programs, support for laboratories, and robust market surveillance initiatives.

These measures, he said, aim to bolster energy and resource efficiency via sector-specific technical regulations, representing practical tools to enhance intra-Gulf trade and boost the competitiveness of Gulf industries.

Al Mana further noted that the new strategy comprises ten strategic objectives measured against twenty strategic benchmarks, implemented through nineteen initiatives with a clearly defined impact on the market, industrial sector, and Gulf consumers, with periodic monitoring to ensure implementation and alignment of initiatives with member states’ priorities. (QNA)