Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
71
Figure 17. Main border crossings and logistics hubs in Abu Dhabi
Source: Wikimedia and CBRA analysis 119
Regional initiatives
The UAE is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), a
regional economic and political union comprising six Arab States of the Arabian Gulf: the UAE,
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Originally, in 1981, the Gulf Cooperation
Council was established to confront security challenges arising from the Iraq-Iran war. Today,
35 years later, the GCC cooperation covers many policy areas beyond security, including
finance, tourism and trade. The GCC countries share a common market for labour 120, allowing
GCC citizens to travel and work freely in the region. The GCC states have also taken steps
towards a monetary union and launched numerous other projects to promote further
economic integration.
The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council have a common customs union in place. The
countries agreed on the terms for the customs union already in 2003, but it became
operational only in 2015. The customs union introduced a common external customs tariff
(CET) for goods imported from the outside of the customs union. All GCC countries levy a
common external ad-valorem tariff of 5% on the value, insurance and freight cost of imported
goods121. The imported goods enter the GCC customs union through a single point of entry
(airports, seaports or land borders), after which additional customs duties are no longer
collected. At the same time, goods produced in any GCC country benefit from the tariff-free
11 (accessed 31.8.2016)
120 This common market does not yet allow full free movement of services and goods.
121 There are some country-specific exemptions, though.
Ghuwaifat
Border Post Al Ain
Border Posts
Abu Dhabi
Int. Airport
Khalifa
Port
Musaffah Port
ZayedPort
Border between the Emirate of
Abu Dhabi and other emirates
Major border crossing or
international logistics hub
Arabian gulf