Qatar participated in the 35th regular session meeting of the Council of Arab Transport Ministers, which took place Tuesday at the headquarters of the Arab Academy for Science Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Alexandria, Egypt. Qatar's delegation was chaired by HE Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Arab League, Ambassador Salem Mubarak al-Shafi. The meeting deals with a number of issues that contribute to activating joint Arab action and related to the Arab transport sector in its various forms, foremost supporting the Palestinian economy, implementing the strategic plan for sectoral development in the city of Jerusalem (2018-2022), in addition to the latest developments on the Arab agreement to regulate passenger transport on roads between and through Arab countries, and reviewing Resolution No.(2327) issued by the Economic and Community Council of the Arab League at its 109th session on Oct 2022 regarding the adoption of the amended agreement to regulate transit between the Arab countries.
Arab transport ministers are also discussing the establishment of an Arab electronic platform for road transport between Arab countries to serve the parties to the commercial process, as well as studying the standards of axial dimensions and weights for trucks operating between Arab countries and the requirements for updating and activating the road safety website, in implementation of the decision issued by the 34th meeting of the Council of Arab Transport Ministers to assign the Arab Union for Land Transport, in coordination with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to establish an Arab Integrated Road Safety Observatory (AIRSO).
Discussions also touched on the implementation of Resolution No.2349 issued by the 110th session of the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League regarding the sixth draft of the draft agreement regulating maritime transport of passengers and goods between Arab countries, ways to finance a comprehensive feasibility study for the project to establish an Arab mechanism and database to support the field of ship repair and construction industry in Arab Countries, and establishing an Arab fund to support research and development in artificial intelligence (AI) in line with recent trends in artificial intelligence applications in the transport and logistics sectors and its future in the Arab region.
The meeting of transport ministers will also discuss the guide for precautionary measures in the Arab transport sector to deal with emergencies, prepared by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, in addition to adopting the amended draft agreement to exchange exemption from taxes and custom duties on the activities and equipment of Arab air carrier, and discussing general Arab principles for unifying the procedures for registration, approval and use of vaccines among Arab countries.
It is noteworthy that, following the meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Transport, the work of the 27th session of the General Assembly meeting of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) — one of the specialised organisations affiliated with the League of Arab States — which Tuesday celebrated its 50 years since its founding (Golden Jubilee), will be held at experts level, with the participation of MOTCs Assistant Undersecretary of Maritime Transport Affairs Dr. Saleh bin Fetais Al Marri.
Qatar's delegation was chaired by HE Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Arab League, Ambassador Salem Mubarak al-Shafi
