Latest news with #TheGulfCooperationCouncil
Daily Tribune
27-06-2025
- Daily Tribune
Gulf Shield
TDT | Manama Strategy spans rehab and policing The Gulf Cooperation Council has unveiled a sweeping anti-drug strategy for 2025 to 2028 that combines tougher enforcement with social reintegration programmes, marking one of the most comprehensive Gulf-wide actions against drug trafficking and addiction to date. GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi announced the plan at a regional celebration for Gulf Anti-Drug Week and the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held at the General Secretariat headquarters in Riyadh yesterday. High-level officials from interior ministries and anti-narcotics agencies across member states were present. Security and society combined Al-Budaiwi said the new strategy reflects unified action based on the directives of Gulf leaders, aiming to reduce both the supply and demand for drugs through an integrated framework that addresses prevention, security, and treatment. Key pillars of the 2025–2028 strategy include cutting supply chains, promoting alternative development, enhancing legislation, combating money laundering linked to drug trafficking, and building a regional monitoring system. It also emphasises training, capacity building, and coordinated awareness campaigns. Rehab and reintegration Significantly, the plan also highlights the importance of social integration for recovering addicts, calling on families and communities to serve as the first line of defence. Al-Budaiwi urged a cultural shift that supports recovering addicts in regaining self-confidence and participating actively in society. Hospitals, treatment centres, and rehabilitation programmes in GCC countries will be tasked with offering support through education, skills training, and job placement, while combating stigma that may hinder longterm recovery. Call for regional unity The Secretary- General stressed that drug control is a shared responsibility and praised ongoing partnerships with ministries of health, justice, education, and social affairs, in addition to customs agencies, coast guards, and national committees. He reaffirmed the GCC's commitment to deepening cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other international bodies to ensure cross-border coordination and lasting impact. The strategy is expected to serve as a unifying roadmap across the region in confronting what Al-Budaiwi called a 'dangerous scourge' threatening Gulf societies and future generations.
Khaleej Times
13-03-2025
- Khaleej Times
Gulf countries to consider restricting social media access for teens
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are discussing with technology companies how to monitor and restrict social media usage for teens. "Governments in the GCC are looking to regulate social media access for teenagers. There are discussions now in the region that we need to regulate social media usage for people under 16 or 18. Similar to the ongoing debate in Egypt about the age,' said Ashraf Koheil, regional sales director for Meta, at a conference in Dubai. While speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Group-IB's latest High-Tech Crime Trends Report 2025, Koheil said he would visit Australia to share information related to the topic. He stressed that there are solutions to monitor and restrict teenagers from social media usage with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and other identity management solutions. Many countries have introduced social media restrictions on young people as smartphones become ubiquitous and teenagers spend hours online, surfing social media platforms, which exposes them to cybercriminals. In November 2024, Australia approved a social media ban for children aged under 16. Similarly, France and some US states have passed laws to restrict access for minors without a parent's permission The European Union also forbade technology giants from targeting children with personalised advertisements and asked them to send reminders to teenagers to take breaks and turn off autoplay. China also rolled out its Cybersecurity Law and Minor Protection Law, putting restrictions on what can be shown to kids online and imposes time limits on daily usage of online services. Netherlands has also put a ban on smart devices — mobile phones, smartwatches and tablets — in primary and secondary schools as these gadgets cause 'distractions' and hinder academic performances of students. Public schools in the UAE don't allow students to bring mobile phones to school to protect their safety and privacy. In a directive issued in November last year, the Ministry of Education warned that repeated instances of being caught with phones in school would result in the devices being confiscated for a month. Private schools across the country have either banned the use of phones in school or strongly regulated their use. Some schools allow senior students to carry mobile phones but under strict conditions. School networks typically have filters that block access to social media sites. UAE residents, on average, have more than one social media account. The average daily time spent on social media by people of all age groups is nearly three hours a day, according to Global Media Insights. It said a large percentage of Instagram's 6.67 million users in the UAE are young, especially teenagers. In the GCC, over 50 per cent of the local youth population is under the age of 25. UAE leads The High-Tech Crime Trends Report 2025 revealed that internet services were the most frequently targeted sector for phishing in the Middle East and Africa. Telecommunications and financial services followed closely, with professional services and logistics also facing notable threats amid the region's expanding digital system, said Dmitry Volkov, CEO and co-founder of Group-IB. Craig Jones, former director of cybercrime at Interpol, said the UAE is a regional leader when it comes to cybersecurity. 'The UAE is pretty good in what it is doing. There's a good reporting mechanism in place. There's an online reporting portal now for victims of cybercrime to report that to the police. There's very good cooperation between the government entities as well,' said Jones. 'The UAE is seen as one of the leaders regionally. For example, the UAE is part of the counter-ransomware initiative. The UAE is part of the solution in trying to solve that problem and already recognises that information sharing is important to combat cybercrimes.
