Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The General Authority for Foreign Trade (GAFT) held a virtual meeting with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to discuss preparations for the second edition of the Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC), scheduled to take place in the Kingdom in 2025.

Deputy Governor for Shared Services Nasser Al-Dughaither, represented GAFT in the meeting.

The meeting, included GAFT's Director General of Human Resources Hamoud Al-Malki and Director of Talent and Development Badr Al-Ajlan, focused on enhancing cooperation to organize the RTPC, improving the course’s quality and outcomes, and developing specialized workshops for stakeholders involved in trade negotiations.

These efforts aim to deepen participants' understanding of WTO agreements, rules, and procedures.

Al-Dughaither emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s three-year hosting of the RTPC reflects its global economic leadership, particularly in the Middle East, and aligns with national goals to empower regional trade policymakers and elevate their capacity to meet international trade standards.

He expressed optimism about the upcoming edition, building on the success of the previous course, which featured robust scientific content and active participant engagement.

The first edition of the RTPC was hosted in Saudi Arabia from October 13 to December 5, 2024, in partnership with King Saud University and the WTO.

It saw participation from around 25 government officials representing nine countries, along with 12 Saudi government entities, covering over 24 training topics.