GSO, CUA, and GOIC Joint Cooperation to Support Industry, Product Safety, and the Movement of Goods
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) hosted at its headquarters in Riyadh today, Monday 01 December 2025, a joint coordination meeting that brought together the GSO, The Customs Union Authority of the Gulf Cooperation Council (CUA), and the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). The meeting comes as part of ongoing efforts to enhance coordination among GCC entities involved in industry, product safety, and the movement of goods.
At the beginning of the meeting, His Excellency Eng. Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al-Mana, GSO President, welcomed His Excellency Dr. Suleiman bin Masoud Al-Ghafri, Executive Director of CUA, and his accompanying delegation, as well as His Excellency Mr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Mohammed, CEO of GOIC. He expressed his appreciation for their participation in this meeting, which reflects GSO’s commitment to strengthening integration among GCC organizations and unifying efforts that support consumer safety, enhance product quality, and boost competitiveness within the GCC common market, in alignment with the GCC General Secretariat’s vision to advance joint Gulf action.
During the meeting, GSO presented the highlights of its Strategic Standardization Plan (2026–2030) and its key initiatives supporting product safety and industrial and commercial integration among member states. The presentation also emphasized the role of Gulf standards, conformity assessment systems, and key digital platforms that support standardization activities and related services within GSO and the member states.
CUA delivered a presentation on the latest developments in the implementation of the Customs Union, the challenges related to the safety of exchanged and imported products entering GCC markets, and mechanisms for oversight and enforcement.
Meanwhile, GOIC reviewed current and future industrial trends in the GCC, with a focus on opportunities for coordination with the standardization ecosystem in developing quality infrastructure and enhancing the competitiveness of GCC products.
The meeting concluded with a discussion on several potential pathways for future integration among the three entities, with the aim of developing strategic partnerships that strengthen the reliability of products in GCC markets, facilitate the smooth flow of goods, and support industrial and economic development objectives. These efforts also seek to reinforce the regional and global positioning of GCC industry.
This initiative reaffirms the commitment of GCC organizations to coordination and joint action, in line with the GCC General Secretariat’s vision to enhance integration among relevant entities, contribute to the development of the joint Gulf work system, and support efforts aimed at harmonizing regulations and procedures across member states.
