Hajraf Stresses Importance of Strengthening GCC-Indian Relations

GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf meets with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Riyadh on Saturday. (GCC)
GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf meets with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Riyadh on Saturday. (GCC)
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Hajraf Stresses Importance of Strengthening GCC-Indian Relations

GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf meets with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Riyadh on Saturday. (GCC)
GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf meets with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Riyadh on Saturday. (GCC)

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf stressed the importance of strengthening GCC-Indian relations to serve common interests.

Hajraf met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Riyadh on Saturday.

The officials reviewed relations of cooperation between the GCC countries and India. They also discussed aspects of the GCC-Indian relations in many fields of joint cooperation.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the GCC Secretariat General and India.

Hajraf said India is one of the largest trading partners of the GCC and an ideal model for addressing challenges and seizing opportunities, particularly in the fields of investment and economy.

Moreover, he praised the bilateral relations between the GCC and India in light of the economic cooperation agreement signed between them in 2004.

Hajraf and Jaishankar reviewed developments of the joint working group with regard to free trade negotiations and the importance of completing the work of the joint team concerned with studying all economic and trade aspects between the GCC countries and India.



Saudi Arabia Showcases Progress in Women's Economic Participation at High-Level Regional Dialogue

Saudi Flag / File/Reuters
Saudi Flag / File/Reuters
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Saudi Arabia Showcases Progress in Women's Economic Participation at High-Level Regional Dialogue

Saudi Flag / File/Reuters
Saudi Flag / File/Reuters

Saudi Arabia participated in a high-level regional dialogue focused on enhancing women's economic participation alongside government representatives from Gulf states, including the UAE and Bahrain.

The event, held in Dubai on June 17–18, was organized by the UAE Gender Balance Council in cooperation with the World Bank.

The sessions and workshops featured the exchange of expertise and successful policy models to advance gender equality in the workforce.

Representing the Kingdom, Female Enablement General Director at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development Dr. Hanadi Al-Hokair joined a panel alongside her counterparts from the UAE and Bahrain. She presented the Kingdom's practical strategies to boost women's engagement in the labor market and highlighted recent policy reforms and milestones in Saudi Arabia's economic empowerment of women.

Interactive sessions led by World Bank experts explored childcare policies that support women's employment, global best practices for integrating women into the digital economy, and reforms that facilitate women's entry into non-traditional sectors such as technology and the green economy.

Participants also reviewed global legal frameworks and successful case studies from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain.

A dedicated session addressed the methodology of the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law Index, a key global benchmark for assessing gender-related regulatory progress.

The Kingdom's efforts have yielded significant achievements, with women's labor force participation increasing from 17% in 2017 to over 36% in 2025, surpassing the original targets of Vision 2030. The ministry's participation in the event reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to empowering women and elevating their role across all sectors in line with the Vision 2030.