Muscat: The regional workshop for decision-makers and experts on measuring the minimum level of decent living and modern trends in social security systems for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states commenced in Muscat, Oman, and will continue until April 24.

According to Qatar News Agency, the event is organized by the GCC Statistical Centre (GCC-Stat) and the Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labour and the Council of Ministers of Social Affairs of the GCC States. The workshop addresses the key challenges faced by the social protection systems in the GCC states and aims to explore opportunities for collective improvement by analyzing successful international models and experiences in developing social security systems.

Director-General of GCC-Stat, Intisar bint Abdullah Al Wahaibi, emphasized that the workshop’s goal is to assess the level of decent welfare and living standards for GCC citizens. This will be achieved by creating a Gulf guide to design a multidimensional composite index for measuring the standard of living in the GCC states, considering them as a unified economic, social, and environmental bloc.

She noted that the event aspires to enhance the Gulf’s efforts in achieving greater welfare for its citizens, increase economic competitiveness, and attract investment, which would contribute to elevating the regional and global status of the GCC states.

Director-General of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Ministers of Social Affairs in the GCC States, Mohammed bin Hassan Al Obaidli, in his opening remarks, mentioned that the workshop’s outcomes will aid in preparing a unified report on the minimum standard of living. This report will accurately reflect the GCC states’ efforts in this domain and support the advancement of key objectives set for the upcoming Second World Summit on Social Development later this year.

The workshop gathered over 60 experts specializing in social protection and social security, with contributions from the World Bank, the International Labour Organization, national statistical agencies, the Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs in the GCC States, and GCC-Stat.