EFTA and GCC hold fifth Joint Committee meeting in Geneva

On the EFTA side, both meetings were chaired by Norway, while on the GCC side, the Sub-Committee meeting was chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Joint Committee meeting was chaired by the GCC Secretariat. 

The meetings provided an opportunity to review the operation of the EFTA-GCC Free Trade Agreement (the FTA) and to exchange views on recent economic and trade developments. 

The Parties discussed a range of issues related to the functioning of the FTA, and explored opportunities to further strengthen trade and economic cooperation. The Sub-Committee reviewed technical matters arising from the implementation of the Agreement, such as rules of origin and customs procedures, and prepared recommendations for consideration by the Joint Committee. The Joint Committee reviewed the overall operation of the Agreement and reaffirmed the Parties’ commitment to maintaining and enhancing their economic partnership. 

Both sides welcomed the constructive discussions and noted the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation under the framework of the FTA. 

The agenda of the fifth Joint Committee meeting is available here. 

REPORT

Economic relations between the EFTA States and the GCC 

The GCC remains one of the EFTA States’ most important trading partners in the Middle East. In 2024, bilateral trade between the EFTA States and the GCC amounted to EUR 10.8 billion, covering a wide range of sectors, including precious metals, mineral fuels, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, watches and transport equipment. 

Read more about merchandise trade between the EFTA States and the GCC here.