DOHA: Qatar chaired the 27th meeting of the minister of municipal affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which was held in Doha on Thursday, with the participation of ministers, and Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
During the meeting, the guide to using solar panels in buildings in GCC countries was approved, as well as the guide to procedures for towing and seizing abandoned and damaged vehicles and broken vehicles in GCC countries, and the guide to requirements for public health pest control facilities in GCC countries.
The date for the third edition of the Gulf Municipal Week - which will be held in 2025, in Kuwait, was set, as well as the date for the 13th Gulf Municipal Work Conference - which will be held in 2026, and the date for launching the sixth session of the GCC Municipal Award, which will be held in 2025-2026, in addition to other decisions of mutual Gulf municipal interest.
The participants commended the success of the Second Gulf Municipal Week and the activities it included, hosted by the State of Qatar, which was held from April 28 to May 2, 2024.
In his opening speech, Minister of Municipality HE Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah, who chaired the meeting, affirmed that Qatar has recently achieved many accomplishments in the field of providing sustainable and healthier options for the population, in the implementation of directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and as part of its continuous endeavour to develop municipal work and raise the quality of life in the cities of Qatar.
All the cities of Qatar have been given the title of 'Healthy City' by the World Health Organization (WHO), as a result of the fruitful efforts made by Qatar, he said, adding that Qatar's efforts have also culminated in the joining of 7 out of 8 its cities, in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, in addition to developing the building permit system and implementing a digital transformation project for all services provided by the Ministry of Municipality, and other municipal projects and services, in line with the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030.
These objectives are the last stage of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims for Qatar to become one of the best countries for family life, and to be a leader in digital government, as well as provide a high-quality life for all through excellence in health care, security, public safety, and cultural enrichment.
The Minister of Municipality pointed out that this meeting comes in light of the increasing interests and aspirations of the GCC countries' leaders to achieve more goals in the field of joint Gulf municipal action in many aspects, namely: strategic urban planning, urban environment, working on a unified strategy for municipal work, service facilities on highways between the GCC countries, preparing Gulf national cadres in the field of municipal work, in addition to many joint projects amongst the GCC countries.
The past meeting of this committee, in 2023, produced several outcomes, including the launch of the electronic version of the Gulf Building Code, the approval of the joint Gulf municipal action plan for the years 2024-2030, and the approval of three Gulf guidance manuals: the Manual for the Classification of Contractors in the Construction and Building Sector for the GCC countries, the Manual for Regulating Food Carts, and the Manual for Regulating Group Housing, he added.
Al Attiyah extended his sincere thanks to the General Secretariat of the GCC for its contributions and efforts over the past period, which have had a significant impact on the progress of joint Gulf municipal work. This has been achieved through monitoring decisions and recommendations emerging from ministerial meetings, coordinating and organizing activities, and fostering cooperation frameworks among member states, in order to enhance the progress of joint Gulf action in various fields, fulfilling the aspirations and hopes of the peoples and citizens of the Council countries.
He also hailed the distinguished role of the sisterly Sultanate of Oman during its presidency of the past term in 2023.
The meeting addressed several important topics, foremost of which was the implementation of the Supreme Council's decisions regarding municipal work, strategic urban planning, and the urban environment. It also addressed the ministerial council's decisions concerning the Gulf Building Code, the development of legislation and municipal control mechanisms, the criteria and mechanisms for classifying contractors, and the joint Gulf municipal action plan for the years 2024-2030.
The meeting also reviewed the follow-up on previous decisions of the committee of ministers responsible for municipal affairs regarding the Gulf Municipal Week, the signing of agreements with specialized organizations serving the municipal field, the Gulf Municipal Work Conference, the GCC Municipal Award, and highlighting Gulf municipal work in regional and international forums, among other common topics among the council's countries.
The 27th meeting of ministers concerned with municipal affairs in GCC comes within the framework of ongoing coordination among the member states of the GCC to exchange experiences and distinguished practices in various fields of joint municipal work and to review the achievements made over the past years.
