GCC meeting enters Day Two

Manama

The MENA Centre for Investment in Bahrain, in cooperation with The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC Stat) in Oman and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), held a special task force meeting on yesterday.

The task force meeting, spanning two days, on foreign direct investment statistics in the kingdom is also scheduled for today, 8th of June. The gathering yesterday, which was the programme’s first official meeting, was attended by representatives of central banks, statistical and financial entities of five GCC Countries, including the GCC Secretariat. 

The task force meeting expects to “look into harmonising statistical efforts between all GCC Countries under the umbrella of GCC-Stat with the help of UNCTAD,” according to a statement to the press.

The initiative will look into creating a work plan and roadmap strategy for coordinating GCC Direct and Portfolio investment for 2015 to 2020, the official statement read, by “identification of statistical initiatives and projects of common interest and possible avenues of cooperation.” The program also intends to create national teams to aid in implementing the programme in their respective countries. 

UNCTAD representatives Dr. Masataka Fujita and Dr. Astrit Sulstarova attended the meeting yesterday, along with Dr. Ahmed Al Farid from GCC-Stat. Statistical Researcher Wadha Al-Jabor from the General Secretariat for Development and Planning in the State of Qatar also attended the gathering.