Saudi Arabia joins WTO officially

Saudi Arabia on Friday got the official consent for joining the World Trade Organization. Its complete joining of the organization will be made by the fall of the mid December as membership WTO will be 149 countries.

After 12 years of difficult negotiations, the general council of the organization agreed on the decision of the membership committee of the organization that Saudi Arabia has achieved all membership conditions.

The consent of the council is considered an expected formality and paves the way for the Saudi participation in an important ministerial meeting to be held by the organization in Hong Kong in December as a full member if al-Riyadh will quickly complete the official measures for joining.

Chairman of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, announced in October the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining of the WTO this year.

It is expected that Saudi Arabia joining the organization will open its economy which has been remained under control for a long period protected from the outside world.