UAE chairs 114th Arab Economic and Social Council Session in Cairo

Juma Mohammed Al Kait, Assistant Under-Secretary for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, chaired the 114th session of the Arab Economic and Social Council (AESC) in Cairo, Egypt, held on Wednesday, at the senior officials' level at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League. The session was convened in preparation for the ministerial session of the council, scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday. In his opening speech, Al Kait reviewed a range of topics discussed during the preparatory meetings of the Economic and Social Committees, aimed at fostering growth and fully leveraging the capabilities and resources available to the member states. Al Kait said that the meeting tackled several important issues, including the follow-up on the implementation of the decisions of the 113th session of AESC and the follow-up on the activities of the General Secretariat concerning economic and social aspects between the 113th and 114th sessions of the council. He noted that the council was briefed on the latest developments of several joint Arab development projects, such as the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) and the progress of the "Arab Customs Union," and on enhancing investment opportunities among member states. The meeting also reviewed various experiences and proposals from member states on achieving social and economic development, emphasising the need to strengthen Arab cooperation in the fields of tourism, antiquities, space, investment, and trade exchange.