Saudi Arabia's Al-Moqbel appointed WTO General Council president for 2025–2026
Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has unanimously appointed Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the WTO Saqer Al-Moqbel as its president for the 2025–2026 term. This marks a historic milestone, as Al-Moqbel becomes the first Arab and Middle Eastern delegate to assume this prestigious position.
The WTO General Council, which convenes throughout the year, oversees the organization's operations between ministerial conferences, held biennially. As the highest decision-making body at the level of heads of missions, the council plays a crucial role in shaping global trade policies.
During Saudi Arabia's presidency, the General Council is set to address several key issues, including preparations for the 14th Ministerial Conference, scheduled to be held in Cameroon in March 2026. The agenda will also focus on essential WTO reforms, particularly the dispute settlement mechanism; advancing negotiations on the second phase of the Fisheries Subsidy Agreement; and addressing agriculture, food security, and development concerns. Other priorities include integrating multilateral agreements, such as the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement and the E-Commerce Agreement, into the WTO framework.
Commenting on the appointment, President Al-Moqbel emphasized that Saudi Arabia's leadership in the WTO General Council reflects its growing role in the international economic landscape, leveraging its global economic influence to strengthen multilateral trade cooperation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Iran slams US nuclear proposal, says it will continue to enrich uranium
TEHRAN — Iran's supreme leader has denounced a proposal by the United States aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear efforts and demanded that his country retains independence amid reports of Washington offering to become involved in Tehran's nuclear program. Despite several rounds of talks between the two sides to thrash out a new nuclear deal major sticking points remain, with Iran insisting on its right to nuclear enrichment. 'The first word of the US is that Iran should not have a nuclear industry and should rely on the United States,' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a crowd gathered in Tehran to commemorate the death of Imam Khomeini, the founder of Iran's Islamic Republic. 'Our response to the US' nonsense is clear: they cannot do a damn thing in this matter,' he said. The US sent a nuclear deal proposal to Iran on Saturday. CNN has learned this suggests the US could invest in Iran's civilian nuclear power program and join a consortium that would oversee the enrichment of low-level uranium inside Iran for an unspecified amount of time. That potential consortium would be expected to include Middle Eastern nations and the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. Khamenei said Wednesday that Iran is refusing to allow the United States to give a 'green or red light' with its nuclear program and stressed on 'national independence.'A senior Iranian official told CNN on Monday that the US proposal is 'incoherent and disjointed, very unrealistic, and with excessive demands.'US President Donald Trump said on Monday, seemingly contrary to what was proposed to Iran, that the deal will not allow uranium enrichment.'Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM,' Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social supreme leader added on Wednesday that his country has been 'able to achieve a complete nuclear energy cycle,' a feat only achieved by a few countries.'Uranium enrichment is an essential part of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, and we will not abandon it,' Khamenei and the US concluded a fifth round of high-stakes nuclear talks in Rome on May 23 amid growing skepticism in Tehran about the chances of a deal. After that round of discussions, the two sides 'agreed to meet again in the near future,' a senior US administration official said at the time. — CNN
Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia to host second WTO regional trade policy course in 2025
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The General Authority for Foreign Trade (GAFT) held a virtual meeting with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to discuss preparations for the second edition of the Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC), scheduled to take place in the Kingdom in 2025. Deputy Governor for Shared Services Nasser Al-Dughaither, represented GAFT in the meeting. The meeting, included GAFT's Director General of Human Resources Hamoud Al-Malki and Director of Talent and Development Badr Al-Ajlan, focused on enhancing cooperation to organize the RTPC, improving the course's quality and outcomes, and developing specialized workshops for stakeholders involved in trade negotiations. These efforts aim to deepen participants' understanding of WTO agreements, rules, and procedures. Al-Dughaither emphasized that Saudi Arabia's three-year hosting of the RTPC reflects its global economic leadership, particularly in the Middle East, and aligns with national goals to empower regional trade policymakers and elevate their capacity to meet international trade standards. He expressed optimism about the upcoming edition, building on the success of the previous course, which featured robust scientific content and active participant engagement. The first edition of the RTPC was hosted in Saudi Arabia from October 13 to December 5, 2024, in partnership with King Saud University and the WTO. It saw participation from around 25 government officials representing nine countries, along with 12 Saudi government entities, covering over 24 training topics.
Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
SFDA elected to Management Committee of MedDRA, the 6th global regulatory body
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — In a move that highlights Saudi Arabia's growing prominence in global pharmaceutical governance, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has been officially elected to the Management Committee of the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA). The authority has thus become the sixth regulatory authority worldwide to join this prestigious global medical body. This election marks a pivotal milestone for both Saudi Arabia and the international scientific community, reflecting global confidence in the SFDA's regulatory excellence and the Kingdom's strategic role in advancing international harmonization in drug safety and medical product oversight. MedDRA, developed by the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), is a globally recognized standard for coding and analyzing safety data across the lifecycle of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products. It plays a central role in regulatory communication, post-market surveillance, clinical trial reporting, and signal detection. SFDA's election to the MedDRA Steering committee was confirmed during the ICH Management Committee meeting held in Madrid, Spain, from May 11–12, 2025. With this appointment, SFDA joins a group of regulators, including the European Commission, U.S. FDA, UK MHRA, Health Canada, Japan's MHLW and PMDA, alongside the World Health Organization (WHO), which participates as an observer. This strategic appointment reaffirms SFDA's active leadership within ICH working groups, particularly in the areas of medical terminology and pharmacovigilance. Among its most impactful contributions is the linguistic and technical leadership demonstrated in the translation and validation of over 20,000 MedDRA terms into Arabic—a landmark initiative completed between May and October 2022. This achievement significantly facilitates the implementation of MedDRA across Arabic-speaking regions and enhances inclusive pharmacovigilance throughout the MENA region. For CEOs, scientific leaders, and policymakers, this development signals new opportunities to align regulatory frameworks, accelerate clinical development across the region, and enhance data interoperability. SFDA's presence on the MedDRA Steering Committee is not merely symbolic—it serves as a strategic platform for integrating global safety data, advancing regulatory innovation, and sharing best practices. As Saudi Arabia continues to lead in biopharma localization, digital health, and AI-driven pharmacovigilance, SFDA's role in shaping the evolution of MedDRA is set to reinforce the Kingdom's position at the forefront of global health regulation.
