Riyadh: The Ministry of Health chaired the meeting of the Executive Board of the Gulf Health Council in Riyadh. Members of the Executive Board of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Health Council, including Dr. Luluwa Rashid Shuwaiter, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, and Dr. Samia Ali Bahram, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health, participated in the 103rd meeting of the Executive Board, held at the GCC Health Council headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The meeting addressed several initiatives and decisions aimed at developing health services and enhancing pharmaceutical security in the GCC countries. According to Ministry of Health - Bahrain, during the opening session, Dr. Shuwaiter, a member of the Executive Board and chair of the current session, affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain's support for joint Gulf efforts to develop the health sector and strengthen integration among GCC countries to address health challenges, thereby contributing to improved efficiency of health systems and quality of services. She also emphasized the importance of the GCC Unified Procurement Program in enhancing spending efficiency, achieving pharmaceutical security, and ensuring the sustainable availability of medicines and medical supplies. The meeting discussed the Council's performance report for the first half of 2026, the Council's and the Gulf Center for Disease Prevention's budget for 2027, and several projects, most notably the formation of a strategic stockpile committee, the adoption of unified procurement tenders, enhanced cooperation in central drug registration, and the adoption of the Gulf guide for standardizing pharmaceutical export prices and the Council's updated internal regulations. The meeting also saw the launch of several specialized programs and projects, including the "Cooperation 2.0" system, the knowledge platform, and the initiation of specialized studies for the Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
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