India GCC Trade Council welcomes the appointment of Hon. John George from Kerala into the Global Arab Network by consensus of the Member countries on Wednesday. He was appointed by Mr. Saad Al Dabbagh, Chairman at the head office based in Doha, Qatar, with a strong presence in India. “India-Middle East relations with the GCC countries are witnessing unprecedented momentum with a large number of opportunities for cooperation and increasing investments in key sectors like infrastructure and technology,” said Hon. George, who is actively looking at his new role in promoting trade relations between India and Saudi Arabia, specifically to develop trade relations.
Mr. John’s appointment was announced at the Thailand ASEAN Meeting of Economic Federation and saw industry representation from all over India and Thailand. The event was chaired by the Minister for Education in Thailand and the Head of Immigration in Thailand, along with various other business houses in Thailand. Relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia have been very strong and growing since 2022.
In the trade world, there is no one like Mr. John. He is brilliant, hard-working, and devoted to getting trade right. He’s been a devoted entrepreneur for nearly three decades in promoting Indian trade activity and is a great visionary in the business community, advancing the prosperity of India’s trade narrative. Through his work on various trade agreements, he has opened the doors for Indian businessmen to deliver goods and services in GCC nations, strengthening our economy and securing our leadership abroad,” said J. Ranganathan, Secretary General of the India ASEAN Trade Council and the Peace Ambassador.
“While I warmly welcome Mr. John onto the board as the Trade Commissioner of the GCC National Governing Council, his experience and commitment to excellence will be a major asset for the Global Trade bodies and especially between Asian countries and Saudi Arabia. Congratulations and best wishes in his new role as Trade Commissioner,” said Mr. Saad Al Dabagh in Qatar.
He would help Middle Eastern exporters who can now benefit from greater market access through preferential tariff rates. Some products will be subject to zero tariffs from day one; others will see them reduced over time. The CEPA, which was signed earlier this year, is expected to increase the total value of bilateral trade in goods to over $100 billion and trade in services to over $15 billion within five years.
The Arab world considers it very significant that the Trade Commissioner of the Governing Council from India is in an international organization that embodies diversity, with many memberships from developing countries, in light of maintaining and reinforcing the multilateral trading system. The GCC Council hopes that the Trade Commissioner for Saudi Arabia, in his responsibilities, will address a myriad of challenges facing the India-GCC free trade agreement through cooperation with the Members, by demonstrating his deep expertise and experiences, his calibre of coordination with major countries, as well as his managerial ability to run multilateral institutions, which he has previously cultivated in his distinguished capacities in leadership roles and as a philanthropist in the Jain community. He has played key roles in different verticals with strategic assignments across business communities.
“Mr. John is a great choice for one of the Trade Commissioners for Saudi Arabia of the Governing Council as he joins the India GCC Council to usher in a new era with more Indian leadership than ever before,” said Dr. Señorita Isaac. “As he has skillfully negotiated trade deals and crafted our nation’s trade policy while gaining a sophisticated understanding of the opportunities available and the challenges facing the Indian market that is looking at 5 Trillion in the short term.
I look forward to working with him, as well as the Trade Commissioner of the Latin American region, to resolve the Committee’s long-standing concerns with the Free Trade Agreements. I also look forward to addressing issues that have not always been prioritized, particularly when it comes to climate change, labor, and SME economic empowerment. I wish him the very best in this new endeavor and thank him for his commitment to public service,” she said.
India and Saudi Arabia enjoy excellent bilateral relations, which are deep-rooted and historical, sustained and nurtured by close cultural and civilizational affinities, frequent high-level political interactions, and vibrant people-to-people linkages, and are the cornerstone of the multi-faceted bilateral relations.
