2023-05-19 07:51:24
Doha – Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, said that a unified Gulf policy is necessary for the purchase of essential goods, including food and medicine. The call for a unified Gulf policy was made at a meeting of trade ministers, unions and heads of chambers of commerce and industry in the Omani capital Muscat.
Sheikh Khalifa also asked for attractive benefits for Gulf investors. Sheikh Khalifa pointed out that Covid, the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the container crisis have all affected the GCC’s food security, causing price increases for grains, fertilizers and medicine and delays in supply chains.
He also pointed to the importance of the Permanent Emergency Response Committee and policy development to find alternatives to imports. Sheikh Khalifa also called for finding a permanent solution to the food security challenge facing the GCC under the leadership of the Food Security Committee formed last year.
Despite the crisis, Qatar ranks first in food availability
Last year’s Global Food Security Report ranked Qatar first among Arab countries in terms of food availability despite the global food crisis. Qatar is also the second country in the region in terms of food security.
In 2017, following the embargo imposed by Saudi, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt countries, Qatar began to achieve self-sufficiency in all areas. Before the embargo, Qatar imported 80 percent of its food products, today it has achieved self-sufficiency by locally producing all the food products including vegetables, fish and meat required for the domestic market.
1684486366
#Unified #Gulf #policy #needed #solve #food #crisis #Sheikh #Khalifa