The Gulf Cooperation Council member states held an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday evening to secure supply chains and limit potential impacts. Strengthening cooperation in transportation and logistics was the main focus of the discussions.
The meeting followed the significant disruption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz in March. This interruption, occurring after the conflict between Israel and Iran, caused major difficulties in transportation and trade flows in the region.
Ministers responsible for transportation and communications from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman participated online. Oman's official news agency reported that the meeting was held as part of the 19th extraordinary session.
Logistics Integration and Railway Connections on the Agenda
The discussions addressed challenges and opportunities in the transportation and logistics sectors within the Gulf countries. Topics included enhancing logistics integration and strengthening railway connections among member states.
A series of joint projects in transportation and logistics were also evaluated. Some proposals aimed at increasing logistics integration were discussed, though details were not disclosed.
The Gulf Cooperation Council announced that a work plan for the upcoming period was also reviewed, aiming to produce recommendations to strengthen supply chains among member countries.
The meeting emphasized the importance of taking further joint steps to ensure uninterrupted land, sea, and air transportation. Officials stated that the goal was to maintain the sustainability of freight transport and the regular operation of vital sectors.
Supply chains in the region were shaken globally and locally following the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, some Gulf and Arab countries have turned to land transportation options to reduce dependence on maritime routes.
New Step in Logistics Cooperation with Turkey
On June 9, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, Saleh Al-Qasir, met with his Turkish counterpart Abdulkadir Uraloğlu in Riyadh. During the meeting, two memorandums of understanding were signed to strengthen cooperation in transportation and logistics between the two countries.
The first agreement covered the implementation of services and operations using the latest methods, experience sharing, and technical cooperation. The second focused on standards, technologies, innovations, signaling, and communication systems in the railway sector.
The meeting marked a new step in the Gulf countries' efforts to make the regional transportation network more resilient. Railway and multimodal transportation topics have become central to future logistics planning.
