The State of Qatar, represented by the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), is hosting the 22nd Meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Roaming Working Group at the Waldorf Astoria Lusail Hotel from 19-20 June 2023.
Representatives from Qatar, along with delegates from the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the GCC Member States, are participating in the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss matters related to international roaming services.
One of the key discussion topics will be the findings of a benchmarking study on roaming services within the GCC states. This study carried out in collaboration with telecommunications regulatory bodies in the GCC, aims to assess the impact of roaming services prices limits that they previously implemented. It also aims to propose future price development in this area.
The meeting agenda includes several important items, such as a presentation on the summary of the final report comparing international practices in roaming services agreements. Additionally, a summary of the initial report on the outcomes of a study will be presented, focusing on the effects of the current regulation of roaming services prices among the GCC states. Furthermore, various related options for the future will be discussed, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages.
This meeting holds significant importance as GCC member states convene to exchange insights and experiences in the field of international roaming. They will engage in discussions concerning the study's outcomes, proposed options, and the subsequent steps to be taken. The ultimate objective is to ensure that telecom consumers in the GCC states have access to advanced and high-level telecom services, while ensuring to balance between the obligations of Service Providers and the rights of consumers.