Qatar Joins 35th GCC Meeting on Civil Defence Cooperation and Emergency Preparedness

Qatar attended the 35th Meeting of the Committee of Directors General of Civil Defence of the GCC in the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia under the GCC Secretariat General.

Leaders of the delegation were Director General of Civil Defence Major General Hamad Othman Al Duhaimi with Abu Ghosh in his entourage. The conference facilitated the exchange of experiences and best practices between the civil defence authorities of the GCC member countries in order to enhance regional preparedness, crisis management and public safety.

View this post on Instagram

Strengthening Regional Emergency Response

Much of the meeting centered on building operational readiness throughout the Gulf. Delegates visited mechanisms for quicker response and logistical coordination in large scale emergencies, both industrial and environmental, civil emergency.

Cross border emergency management discussions also took place. Civil defence will work more closely with other agencies to enable better crisis command, information sharing and resource deployment in situations where critical infrastructure or communities are impacted during an emergency.

Joint Training and Regional Field Exercises

An additional key element of the committee’s agenda was for the two groups to participate in joint training and simulation activities. To enhance the coordination of civil defence team response during emergency situations, there will be more regional drills coming up.

The activities also can enhance the understanding of joint crisis command organization and functions. Participating authorities can use regular simulations in the field to enhance their preparedness and to find opportunities for further development of regional coordination.

Unified Fire and Building Safety Standards

Another key talking point during the GCC meeting was the need for a shared safety standard. Issues such as protective engineering measures, fire protection needs and coordination of the various types of codes pertaining to commercial and residential buildings were discussed.

Enabling a greater uniformity in these areas can contribute to fire prevention and public protection in the GCC countries. Knowledge-sharing and practice in how to use technologies in safety were also recognised as a key aspect of 21st century Civil Defence planning.

Qatar-Saudi Cooperation Adds Regional Momentum

The meeting comes after the first activation meeting of the Saudi Arabia’s Cooperation Agreement in Civil Defence with Qatar. This is an added instrument for further deepening cooperation between the two countries on civil protection and emergency response.

All these projects are part of the greater aim to strengthen institutional cooperation in the region of the gulf. Forward-looking and coordinated Civil Defence capabilities are still vital to regional resilience, with the evolution of urban development and industrial activity.

FAQs