21st meeting of heads of civil retirement and social security bodies in GCC concludes its activities

RIYADH, 8th November,2022 (WAM) — The 21st meeting of heads of civil retirement and social security agencies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries concluded today in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The two-day event was hosted by the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI), in which the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) takes part every year.

The meeting discussed aspects of joint cooperation in order to enhance the role of the insurance protection extension system including Gulf citizens working in GCC countries, and highlighted existing issues and challenges and the opportunities available for its development and improvement of its outcomes.

The meeting also discussed recommendations resulting from the previous meeting of presidents in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the extent of development and achievement that occurred in this regard, most notably the initiative of integration and electronic linkage between pension and social insurance agencies in the GCC countries.

The decision of the system of extending insurance protection was issued by the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, adopted in its 25th session, which was held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in December 2004. It was then approved to extend the umbrella of insurance protection for GCC citizens working in any member state of the Council, so that the Gulf citizen receives insurance as if he/she is working in his/her own home country.

The UAE has enacted the law on 1st January, 2007, by Cabinet Resolution No. 18/2007 which was issued on 22nd July, 2007. It organised the provisions of insurance protection for citizens of the GCC countries working in civil retirement agencies outside their countries in any of the other GCC states. The system is called the ‘Insurance Protection Extension System’ and the resolution specifies the GPSSA as the implementing agency for this system in the UAE.