KUWAIT CITY, Oct 30: European Union (EU) Ambassador to Kuwait Anne Koistinen announced that Kuwait will host the Ninth EU-GCC Business Forum with the theme, “Together for Shared Prosperity,” on Nov 5 and 6 at Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Center. The high-level joint event will bring together senior policymakers, business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs from both regions to foster dialogue and build partnerships that support economic diversification and sustainable growth. In a press statement, Koistinen pointed out that Kuwait, as the current chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the host country of the forum, plays a vital role in strengthening the partnership between the EU and the GCC. She confirmed that European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič will visit Kuwait to attend the forum. Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Ioannis Tsakiris and EU Special Representative for the Gulf region Luigi Di Maio are also expected to participate as high-level speakers. She added that the business forum will discuss ways to enhance the enormous potential of relations between the EU and the GCC countries in the areas of innovation, trade and investment. She said the Gulf region is EU’s sixth largest trading partner, while the EU is the GCC’s second largest, accounting for 11.7 percent of the total merchandise trade of the GCC. In 2024, the volume of trade in goods between the two sides reached u0001161.7 billion. She invited interested parties from the public and private sectors to register for this important event by visiting the website and social media accounts of the EU Delegation in Kuwait.

By Fares Ghaleb Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff