Latest news with #JasemAl-Budaiwi
Arab Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
GCC reaffirms commitment to marine and environmental protection at UN Ocean Conference
PARIS, France, June 10: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Al-Budaiwi reaffirmed the bloc's ongoing commitment to marine and environmental protection, highlighting its strategic efforts to safeguard regional waters and support sustainable development goals. Speaking at the third United Nations Ocean Conference on Monday, held under the patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron and co-hosted by the governments of France and Costa Rica, Al-Budaiwi emphasized the GCC's resolve to address environmental challenges and reduce ecological risks in the region. 'The Arabian Gulf is home to one of the world's most vital marine ecosystems, featuring coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and rich fish stocks,' Al-Budaiwi stated. 'These resources are fundamental to our region's food security, economic development, and cultural identity.' Al-Budaiwi noted that despite its ecological significance, the Arabian Gulf faces mounting environmental stress due to its status as a semi-enclosed sea and a hub of international maritime activity. He cited the more than 40,000 ships that pass through the Gulf annually—including a substantial number of oil tankers—as evidence of its critical role in global trade and energy. He underscored the GCC's commitment to mitigating these pressures by investing in modern technologies, strengthening marine protection, and advancing sustainable fisheries management. Al-Budaiwi also stressed the need for cooperation at both national and regional levels, with the GCC developing joint strategies in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources. 'The health of our oceans knows no borders,' he said, pointing to GCC initiatives such as marine research, pollution control, and the establishment of marine protected areas. He added that efforts are underway to enhance data sharing and develop early warning systems for marine and climate risks. Al-Budaiwi highlighted the urgent threats facing global marine environments—including rising ocean temperatures, increased acidity, pollution, and habitat degradation—and called for coordinated international action to address them. 'The challenges we face today require innovation, global cooperation, and a sense of shared responsibility,' he said. 'The GCC remains fully committed to preserving ocean health for current and future generations.' The high-level conference brought together leaders, scientists, and policy-makers from around the world to promote ocean conservation and international collaboration amid mounting ecological threats.
Kuwait News Agency
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait News Agency
GCC Chief receives Arab Summit invitation from Iraqi Pres.
RIYADH, May 6 (KUNA) -- Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi, received an invitation from Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid to attend the Arab Summit's 34th Ordinary Session and the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit's fifth session, in Iraq. In a statement Monday, the GCC General Secretariat revealed this came during Al-Budaiwi's reception of Iraqi Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Safia Al-Suhail, at the General Secretariat headquarters in Riyadh. A number of topics of common interest were reviewed and discussed during the meeting. (end)
Zawya
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
GCC Chief, Chinese Atomic Energy Director discuss peaceful nuclear coop
RIYADH: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Al-Budaiwi met, Monday, the Director of China Atomic Energy Authority Shan Zhongde to discuss ways to boosting joint cooperation, including peaceful use of nuclear energy. According to a statement by GCC Secretariat, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the first GCC-China Forum on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology, held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in China. Both sides stressed the importance of this forum, which features workshops and lectures aimed to strengthen GCC-China cooperation in this strategic area, the statement added. Al-Budaiwi noted that the meeting reflects the outcomes of the Riyadh GCC-China Summit for Cooperation and Development, aimed at advancing the strategic partnership between the GCC and China across political, economic, and cultural domains. (end) All KUNA right are reserved © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Roya News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Gulf states to host summit on two-state solution
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is preparing to convene an international conference in New York this June aimed at exploring prospects for peace in the Gaza Strip, according to Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi. The announcement underscores ongoing Gulf efforts to push for a resolution to the crisis in Gaza, with Budaiwi reaffirming the GCC's firm support for the Palestinian cause. He stressed that the Gulf states remain committed to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to safeguarding the rights of Palestinian refugees. Budaiwi made the remarks during meetings in Washington with US officials, including US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. The two sides reviewed the state of Gulf–US relations and discussed key regional and international developments, with Gaza dominating the agenda. Both parties emphasized the urgency of de-escalating the violence, ensuring unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and intensifying diplomatic efforts to calm the situation. The GCC chief also met with the Chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, where discussions focused on the future of the strategic partnership between the Gulf states and the US. Budaiwi highlighted the importance of deepening bilateral coordination and cooperation, describing it as essential to maintaining regional and global stability. He also praised US efforts in responding to international crises and emphasized the value of the Gulf–American alliance in addressing global challenges.
Arab News
22-03-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Europe turns to the Gulf to strengthen energy, security ties
The relationship between the Middle East and Europe has been shaped by centuries of cultural, political, and economic interaction. Today, energy security and geopolitics, in particular, have become even bigger drivers of the important bilateral relationship. Only last week, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, the Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general, spoke with EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica about a proposed new Gulf-European conference on energy security. This happened in a meeting on the sidelines of the Brussels Ninth Conference on Syria, which focused on helping ensure the success of the post-Assad transition. On the geopolitical front, too, key European nations, including France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, are engaging in the Arab plan to rebuild Gaza. These nations are among the key proponents of a renewed ceasefire leading to a sustainable, fair plan for peace. Europe is concerned by how much political instability has grown in the Middle East in recent times, with the conflict in Gaza spreading to other areas, including Lebanon. While economic relations with Europe have been largely unaffected so far, this will not inevitably be the case in the future. These discussions build from recent EU-Arab summits, organized in cooperation with the Arab League and European Parliament, to identify and promote common interests and values collectively — specifically, singling out key priority areas for cooperation, taking into account regional and global challenges. Yet, it is the GCC economic agenda that is perhaps the most prominent in the Europe-Middle East dialogue at present. Not only is a Gulf-European conference on energy security being explored, there is also new impetus for a GCC-EU trade agreement to be agreed during Ursula von der Leyen's second term as European Commission president in the period till late 2029. This is a key part of the EU's plans to engage key emerging market powers much more, following the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency, and also Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In recent weeks, von der Leyen has agreed a trade deal with the Mercosur bloc, including Brazil and Argentina, in South America; kick-started trade talks in India; and visited South Africa, the host of this year's G20 summit. The GCC, with its headquarters in Riyadh, is another top economic target. The bloc — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait — is a major source of global economic activity with total economic output of around $2 trillion in 2022. According to the World Bank, if the GCC continues to grow at a 'business as usual' rate, combined GDP will grow to a projected $6 trillion by 2050. One of the big prizes for the EU of a GCC deal could be further, open access to investment from Gulf sovereign wealth funds. These tend to be cross-sector investors that often take a long-term, multi-decade economic perspective. Energy security and geopolitics are likely to remain at the heart of current Europe-GCC dialogues. Andrew Hammond The EU is the second-largest trade partner for the GCC countries, generating €170 billion ($185 billion) in trade in 2023. Much of this exchange is related to natural resources. In 2023, imports of mineral fuels accounted for over 75 percent of EU imports from GCC countries. Moreover, since 2020, fuel imports have more than tripled, in large part due to a sharp shift in the EU's supply sources caused by Russia's invasion. According to the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, of more than 180 new energy agreements agreed by the EU since the Ukraine war began, the GCC is the region that has signed the largest number of deals. Well over one-fifth of such agreements have been inked with the UAE (24 deals) leading the way, alongside Qatar (11), Saudi Arabia (four), Oman (two), and Bahrain (one). At present, EU-GCC relations are based on a cooperation agreement signed in 1989 that established regular dialogue on topics including economic relations, climate change, energy, and the environment. However, the EU would like a trade deal and, in 2022, Luigi Di Maio, the former Italian foreign affairs minister, was appointed as the first ever EU Special Representative for the Gulf to try to develop a stronger, comprehensive, and more strategic partnership. In 2023, the EU ramped up efforts to try to revitalize EU-GCC negotiations for a trade agreement. The GCC has signed relatively few such agreements to date, including a pact with South Korea in 2023, more than 15 years after talks began. The GCC also entered into trade talks with the UK in 2022, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE last December. Total bilateral trade is worth about £59 billion, making the GCC bloc as a whole equivalent to the UK's fourth-largest non-EU export market behind the US, China, and Switzerland. It is possible that wider developments could reinforce this dynamic of closer GCC-Europe economic cooperation. This includes potential steps toward implementation of a proposed India-Middle East-Europe corridor to foster connectivity and integration with Asia via a proposed route from India through the UAE, Saudi Arabia and into Greece. The corridor concept, which would comprise vast road, railroad, and shipping networks, was given new impetus in September 2023 at the G20 summit in New Delhi. A memorandum of understanding was signed to try to develop the project by the governments of India, the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the 27-member EU bloc. Taken together, energy security and geopolitics are likely to remain at the heart of current Europe-GCC dialogues. These would be boosted significantly if trade deals are agreed in the second half of the 2020s with the Starmer and von der Leyen administrations.
