GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi launched the Gulf Legislation Platform on June 14, 2026, at the General Secretariat in Riyadh to elevate legislative integration. The platform offers a unified electronic reference for unified Gulf legislation and national laws of member states, enabling efficient access for officials, researchers and legal experts, according to the GCC.
The initiative implements a proposal from the General Secretariat that received approval from the Standing Committee of Officials of Legislation Departments in the GCC States during its 19th meeting, the secretariat reported. It provides advanced search services to government and legal entities in the member states as well as to specialists, researchers and those interested in legislative affairs. This setup enhances the exchange of legal expertise and supports legislative coordination and integration, with the current repository holding more than 24,700 legal and legislative documents.
The platform features a flexible and user-friendly design that permits beneficiaries to obtain legislative information and documents rapidly and efficiently, according to the GCC General Secretariat. The first phase of the project incorporates the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman. Competent authorities at the General Secretariat are working to link the remaining member states in upcoming phases to increase the platform’s comprehensiveness.
Since its founding in 1981, the GCC has pursued legislative harmonization as one of its core objectives, with the charter calling for similar regulations in areas including legislation, according to the organization’s background materials. A GCC document on its process and achievements states that the Supreme Council has adopted some 40 standard laws, a portion of which are binding while most serve as references for member states. These laws have addressed economic and financial affairs, customs, trade and other sectors to advance integration from a free trade area to a customs union launched in 2003.
The Common Customs Law of the GCC States was adopted by the Supreme Council in 1999 and went through reference implementation before becoming obligatory, GCC customs records show. Such steps have facilitated unified procedures at first points of entry and helped avoid repetition of customs processes within the bloc. The new legislation platform extends these efforts into a digital format that streamlines access for decision-makers and researchers alike.
Albudaiwi applauded the efforts of those responsible for the initiative during the launch, the General Secretariat noted. Work on completing linkages with all member states continues with the aim of developing the joint Gulf legislative action system. The platform is positioned to serve researchers, specialists and decision-makers throughout the GCC region.
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