Saqr Ghobash participates in the 19th regular meeting of the heads of the Gulf legislative councils in Bahrain
Manama, November 13 / WAM / His Excellency Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council, participated, heading a delegation from the Council, in the nineteenth regular meeting of the heads of the Shura, Representatives, National and Nation Councils of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which is hosted by the House of Representatives in the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain in the capital, Manama.
His Excellency Saqr Ghobash stressed in his speech that the Gulf legislative councils were and will remain at the forefront of institutions capable of keeping pace with global transformations with open thinking and a solid vision based on the values of cooperation and unity of destiny, pointing out that Gulf parliamentary work has always proven to be an embodiment of the civilizational and developmental role that our Gulf countries undertake under the shadow of our wise leadership in their Arab and international surroundings, and it is one of the pillars of achieving security, stability and sustainable development for our Gulf peoples. It is a gateway to dialogues of tolerance, coexistence and peace with the world’s parliaments.
The nineteenth regular meeting was chaired by the Speaker of the Bahraini Parliament, His Excellency Ahmed bin Salman Al Muslim, with the participation of Their Excellencies the Heads of the Legislative Councils in the Arab Gulf states.
The Federal National Council delegation participating in the meeting includes Her Excellency Mona Khalifa Hammad, Chairperson of the Council Group at the regular meeting of the heads of the Gulf legislative councils, Aisha Khamis Al Dhanhani, Vice President of the Group, Saeed Rashid Al Abdi, Dr. Adnan Hamad Al Hammadi, Sheikha Saeed Al Kaabi, Dr. Maryam Obaid Al Badawi, members of the Council, Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman Al Nuaimi, Secretary General, and Afra Rashid Al Basti, Assistant Secretary General for Parliamentary Communication. and Tariq Ahmed Al Marzouqi, Assistant Secretary-General for Council Presidency Affairs.
During his speech, His Excellency Saqr Ghobash expressed his thanks and appreciation to the government and people of the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain for the warm reception and generous hospitality, praising the efforts of His Excellency Ahmed bin Salman Al-Muslim, and His Excellency Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Shura Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain, for their efforts in preparing for the meeting.
He extended his congratulations to His Excellency Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim on the occasion of his re-election as Chairman of the Shura Council of the State of Qatar, stressing that it is a well-deserved trust that embodies his leadership wisdom and solid parliamentary vision that will enrich the Gulf parliamentary presence. His Excellency praised the efforts made by His Excellency Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the cadres of the General Secretariat in preparing for the meeting’s work.
His Excellency added: “We had the honor of assuming the presidency of the eighteenth regular meeting of the heads of the Shura, Representatives, National and Nation Councils in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to their Excellencies the heads and members of the Shura, Representatives, National and Nation Councils in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and all the members and workers in our Gulf councils and the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as the presidency of the Federal National Council would not have been successful.” Were it not for the full support that we found from all of them, and today, as we hand over the banner of the presidency to our brothers in the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain, we affirm that what was accomplished during the past year was not the effort of one country, but rather the result of collective awareness and deep belief that the future of the Gulf is built through integration and joint action, and that what was a path of global parliamentary openness will continue and be deepened by the efforts of our brothers in the House of Representatives of the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain.”
In his speech, His Excellency Saqr Ghobash referred to what was included in the report of the presidency of the Federal National Council for the periodic meeting regarding strengthening cooperation with the European side and Latin America, and what is related to the outcomes of the joint Gulf symposium on the role of legislative councils in the governance of artificial intelligence, which is a draft system or indicative law on the governance of artificial intelligence as a main output of the symposium that the councils will benefit from in their legislative work.
He said: “As we conclude one stage and welcome another, we are confident that the brothers in the House of Representatives in the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain will continue this good path with the same determination and united spirit so that the Gulf voice remains present in every arena of action in which the features of the Gulf and Arab future are shaped, and in which bridges of dialogue with the parliaments of the world are strengthened.”
During the meeting, His Excellency Saqr Ghobash reviewed the report of the presidency of the Federal National Council for the eighteenth periodic meeting, explaining that the period from November 12, 2024 until November 12, 2025 witnessed great momentum in joint parliamentary work, and among its most prominent results was the strengthening of Gulf-European parliamentary cooperation through the European Gulf Parliamentary Committee, strengthening cooperation with the parliaments of Latin American and Caribbean countries, holding coordination meetings in international parliamentary forums, activating the resolution on common Gulf topics, and meeting Parliamentary Coordination and Foreign Relations Committee, and increasing the momentum of Gulf parliamentary meetings at several levels.
In order to activate the work of the European Gulf Parliamentary Committee, (9) visits and meetings were coordinated and prepared with the European side in coordination and cooperation with the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates mission to the European Union, and the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, where the joint Gulf European Parliamentary meeting was held between Their Excellencies the Heads of the Gulf Legislative Councils and Her Excellency the President of the European Parliament, and the meeting of the Gulf Parliamentary Committee with the delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula in the European Parliament in Abu Dhabi.
As part of the item on enhancing cooperation with the parliaments of Latin American and Caribbean countries, the Gulf meeting was held with the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union meetings in Uzbekistan, and in a proposal to hold coordination meetings in international parliamentary forums, 16 physical and virtual coordination meetings were held on the sidelines of regional and international participations.
In order to implement common Gulf topics, the Gulf legislative councils held a symposium, “The Legislative Role of the Gulf Legislative Councils in the Governance of Artificial Intelligence: Reality, Challenges, and Future Prospects,” within the program of the Parliamentary Legislative Forum, which was hosted at the headquarters of the Federal National Council in Abu Dhabi, and as a result the Council presented a draft indicative law regarding the governance of artificial intelligence.
The Parliamentary Coordination and Foreign Relations Committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries held three meetings in order to activate and strengthen Gulf parliamentary coordination on common Gulf issues. In order to increase the momentum of Gulf parliamentary meetings at several levels, the Federal National Council received a delegation from the General Secretariat of the House of Representatives in the Kingdom of Bahrain. During its presidency, the Council presented a number of proposals and visions to enhance joint Gulf parliamentary cooperation.
In the final statement, Their Excellencies the Heads of the Gulf Legislative Councils praised the sincere efforts made by the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates, headed by His Excellency Saqr Ghobash, during his presidency of the eighteenth periodic meeting, which contributed to strengthening the process of work and coordination between the Gulf legislative councils.
They expressed their deep appreciation and gratitude for the international efforts made by the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the State of Qatar in making the humanitarian mediations a success and facilitating the exchange of prisoners between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, stressing that these efforts embody the highest meanings of commitment to noble humanitarian principles, and reflect the spirit of solidarity and shared international responsibility in establishing a world of peace and consolidating stability at the regional and international levels.
They also welcomed the contents of the 29th joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union, which was held last October in the State of Kuwait, in praise of the results of the first parliamentary meeting between the two sides, which was hosted by Abu Dhabi on June 23, 2025, with the participation of the heads of the Shura, Representatives and National Councils in the GCC countries and the President of the European Parliament. They stressed the importance of continuing this constructive parliamentary dialogue, in a way that enhances institutional cooperation and the exchange of parliamentary experiences, and serves Common interests and contributes to consolidating Gulf-European relations.
Their Excellencies praised the outcomes of the Gulf-American summit hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the efforts made by the Kingdom, the most recent of which was its presidency of the two-state solution conference held last September in New York. They praised the efforts of the Ministerial Committee headed by Saudi Arabia, which assigned the extraordinary joint Arab and Islamic summit to work to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. They stressed the importance of the Arab Ministerial Committee concerned with supporting the State of Palestine, headed by the Kingdom of Bahrain, continuing to perform its duties.
Their Excellencies and Excellencies the Presidents also welcomed the joint declaration issued by the Sheikh Al-Salam Summit, which was held in the Arab Republic of Egypt in October 2025, which was the culmination of the tireless efforts and sincere diplomatic endeavors made by the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America, which led to reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and the Humanitarian Authority pledged to protect civilians, ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to the brotherly Palestinian people, and create appropriate conditions for the resumption of the political process.
They expressed their deep regret at the unfortunate events witnessed by the sister Republic of Sudan, stressing the importance of calming down and stopping any acts of violence, ensuring the protection of civilians, and supporting national, regional and international efforts aimed at restoring security and stability, and achieving a comprehensive national dialogue that guarantees a safe and stable future for the brotherly Sudanese people.
Their Excellencies, Heads of the Legislative Councils, sent a telegram of thanks and gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain, in appreciation of the great hospitality, generosity, benefit, and good stay they received. They expressed their thanks and appreciation to the Shura and Representatives Councils of the Kingdom of Bahrain for hosting this meeting, wishing success and payment to the Kingdom of Bahrain in chairing the nineteenth periodic meeting, and continuing to deepen the paths of cooperation. And Gulf parliamentary coordination.
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