QCCI Hosts Meeting on GCC Food Security

Doha, November 18 (QNA) - Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted today the first meeting for the working group of GCC food security with the participation of numerous GCC investors to discuss GCC countries' efforts to achieve food security as well as to listen to the private sector's views in this regard. A press statement released today by the Federation of GCC Chambers said that the meeting, which was attended by a delegation from the GCC General Secretariat led by Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs Abdullah Al Shibli, and Secretary General of the GCC Federation Abdul Rahim Al Naqi as well as representatives of the Qatar Chamber, comes in light of the co-ordination meeting that was held in the Omani city of Salalah last August to address the topic of food security in GCC member states. The Salalah meeting addressed the topic of food security and discuss the role expected to be played by the private sector to achieve food security together with the fundamental role of the public sector and the Gulf, Arab and international relevant organizations. It said that food investment outside the GCC states needs to be reconsidered under global variables, particularly political and economic ones that may pose a major threat to the Gulf food security. The meeting decided to form a working group composed of representatives of the GCC Secretariat General, the Islamic Development Bank Group, Qatar National Food Security Programme, African-Arab Organisation for Investment and Real Estate and Commercial Development and Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting to examine the results reached by the meeting about the themes on achieving reserves of food, livestock and agriculture along with water resources among others. (QNA)