The United Arab Emirates is participating in the GCC Directors-General 28th meeting of Passport, Naturalization and Residency Departments, which is taking place in Qatar, and runs until September 3.
In a statement on the sidelines of the meeting, Brigadier Mohammad Ghurair Al Rumaithi, General Coordinator of Naturalization, Residency & Ports Affairs and chair of the UAE delegation said: “The United Arab Emirates is keen to promote joint action to enhance interaction and ensure smooth free trade among member states. We also want to enhance cooperation in training fields and the exchange of expertise between the various passport departments in the GCC countries.”
Al Rumaithi expressed his hope to see the meeting reach the proper recommendations for the good of GCC citizens and enhance the region’s security, in pursuance with the aspirations of the GCC Interior Ministers.
The GCC Directors-General 28th Meeting for Passports, Naturalization and Residency Departments began on Sunday Morning in Doha, Qatar. It was chaired by Bahrain's Assistant Undersecretary for Exits, Search and Follow-up at the General Directorate for Nationality, Passports and Residence Brigadier Yusuf bin Ahmed Al-Ghatam. During the meeting, participants discussed a number of topics on the agenda, notably the need to achieve an electronic link between the neighboring GCC states, to save time and effort and simplify the procedures for issuances of visas and residence permits.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of cancelling residence permit (RP) stickers on passports, and to store all relevant information about the concerned resident on smart ID cards. In addition, a proposal submitted by the State of Qatar on a training program for GCC immigration employees and granting them a diploma upon successful completion of the course, was also among the topics discussed during the meeting.
The UAE delegation included Colonel Yusuf Ismail Khouri, Deputy Director General of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Abu Dhabi; Colonel Abdullah Abdurrahman bin Sultan, Head of Strategy and Performance Development; Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Khamis Al Ka’bi, legal consultant; Lieutenant Colonel Matar Ali Kharbash, Head of Electronic Services and Communications Department; Major Jabir Jasim Al Jalaf from the Directorate General of Resources and Support Services at the Office of Assistant Undersecretary for Naturalization, Residency and Ports Affairs.