Emir takes part in GCC consultative summit

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attending the 16th consultative summit of the  Gulf Co-operation Council  (GCC) leaders at the King Abdullah International Conference Centre in Jeddah yesterday. HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir’s personal representative, also took part in the meeting. The summit decided to form a new agency to tighten economic co-operation in the region. The Economic and Development Affairs Authority “will boost coherence, integration and co-ordination between member states in all economic and development sectors”,  said a statement after the summit. The newly-formed body “will look into matters such as completing the customs union and the common market of the GCC states”, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference. He said the authority “can solve these issues urgently and effectively” to promote co-operation.