The General Council of the World Trade Organization approved during a meeting convened in Geneva, 16 February 2025, by unanimous decision to the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Permeant Representative to the WTO, Mr. Saqer bin Abdullah Almoqbel, for the years 2025 – 2026; to be the first Arab and Middle Eastern Representative that holds this high-ranking position.
The General Council of the World Trade Organization, which convenes its meetings throughout the year, works to facilitate the organization's work between Ministerial Conferences that are held every two years, and it is considered the highest decision-making body at the level of Heads of Missions.
The council is expected to discuss several important files during the Kingdom's chairmanship. Among the most notable files are the preparation of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the organization, scheduled to be convened in Cameroon, March 2026, advancing essential reforms within the organization, including the dispute settlement mechanism, negotiations about the second round of the guidelines for supporting fishery activities agreement, discussions of agricultural, food security issues, and development concerns, inclusion of multilateral agreements, such as Investment Facilitation for Development Agreements, and E-Commerce Agreement within the Framework of the World Trade Organization agreement.
His Excellency, the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to the WTO, Mr. Saqer bin Abdullah Almoqbel, highlighted that the Kingdom's chairmanship of the General Council of the organizations for 25/26 reflects its vital leadership role in the international economic arena, due to its international economic position, and its role in advancing multilateral trade.
The Kingdom's chairmanship of the Council comes as a reaffirmation of its leadership role in the organization, and its holding of numerous positions such as the Coordinator of the Arab Group of the WTO, along its leadership of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in previous years, Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), Committee on Balance of Payment Restrictions, Council for Trade in Services, Council for Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Council). In addition, the Working Party on Trade and Transfer of Technology, the Working Party on GATS Rules, the Committee on Trade in Financial Services, the Committee on Import Licensing, and the Working Party on State Trading Enterprises.
Almoqbel's diplomatic and legal expertise spans over 20 years, as he chairs the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) and the Working Party on the Accession of the Republic of Iraq to the Organization, Coordinator of the Arab Group in the WTO since October 2020, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Trade Facilitation Initiative for Arab Countries.