His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Investment, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, chaired the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) today, in the presence of Board members from government entities. In its first meeting, the Board discussed the draft regulation of GAFT, the draft national strategy for foreign trade and the 2019 work plan, the formation of the chairman and members of the Executive Committee, and the appointment of the Secretary-General of the Board, in addition to a number of topics on the agenda. The GAFT Board of Directors, headed by H.E. the Minister of Commerce and Investment, includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Economy and Planning, and the Saudi Food & Drug Authority. It is worth noting that the establishment of GAFT aims to enhance the Kingdom's international trade and investment gains and consolidate its position as a regional and global hub, through negotiating and concluding trade and investment agreements to enable access to the markets targeted for non-oil exports and reduce the obstacles it faces, and to represent the Kingdom in international organizations. GAFT will also contribute to enabling the private sector to actively participate in foreign trade, and provide protection for national products from practices harmful to international trade, in addition to providing services and facilities through trade attaches abroad.