Arab League targets 25% intra-Arab trade share by 2030

The Arab League Secretariat General aims to increase intra-Arab trade from its current level of approximately 14% to 25% of total external exchanges by 2030. This goal was announced by Ahmed Nizar Jamil, Director of the Arab Economic Integration Department, during a workshop in Tunisia focused on the benefits of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA).

To achieve this target, the Secretariat is working to better integrate the private sector, which is viewed as an essential engine for regional economic growth. A project is currently being prepared to establish a specific framework that facilitates the involvement of private enterprises as central actors within GAFTA. This project is awaiting approval and feedback from member states.

The workshop in Tunis also serves to inform economic operators, such as Tunisian businesses, about the preferential advantages provided by the GAFTA agreement and to identify ways to remove obstacles hindering access to Arab markets.