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GCC chief backs Gulf civic councils federation

The new body — the Federation of Gulf Municipal Councils — would help accelerate implementation of municipal projects in the six GCC states.

  • By Abdul Rahman Shaheen, Correspondent
  • Published: 00:01 March 6, 2010
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Gulf News

Riyadh: The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) supports a common body for municipal councils of the member countries.

Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah has said that the new body — the Federation of Gulf Municipal Councils — would help accelerate implementation of municipal projects in the six GCC states.

Al Attiyah made the remark during his meeting with President of Qatar's Central Municipal Council Nasser Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, and the accompanying delegation at the GCC headquarters here on Wednesday.

A top-ranking GCC official told Gulf News that the Qatari delegation briefed the GCC chief on the salient features of the draft plan of the proposed council. Al Ka'abi handed a copy of the draft proposal to Al Attiyah.

The new body, which is designed to oversee urban development across the GCC, would be responsible for coming up with joint plans for housing, roads, sewage, electricity, water and transportation, as well as providing feedback on municipal legislation. The federation would be headquartered in Qatar but its chairmanship would be rotated among the six GCC countries.

The draft plan was endorsed by the third conference of the heads of municipal councils from the GCC states held in Doha in April last year.

Qatari Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has expressed his country's willingness to host the headquarters of the new federation during his meeting with heads of GCC municipal councils.

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