8 July 2026

The Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) Agency has announced a new agreement with the Gulf Health Council (GHC).

This agreement will mean GMDN Term and GMDN Definitions can be used on the GCC Gulf Health Council “TAAWON” Portal.

The “TAAWON” Portal is a regional digital platform developed by the Gulf Health Council to support joint procurement across the GCC, regulatory collaboration, medical products data management, supplier and product evaluation, and interaction among Member States, manufacturers, suppliers, and other relevant stakeholders. The platform enables electronic participation in procurement and enhances data integration and collaboration across the GCC.

The integration of GMDN data will support the Gulf Joint Procurement Program by improving product classification, standardisation, data quality, and procurement efficiency across GCC Member States.

Deniz Bruce, CEO of the GMDN Agency, said: “We are pleased to formalise this agreement with the Gulf Health Council, which marks an important step in supporting the use of consistent, high-quality medical device information across the GCC region.

“By enabling the use of GMDN Terms and Definitions through the “TAAWON” Portal, this collaboration will help strengthen how medical device data is shared, analysed, and applied across procurement systems and relevant national regulatory platforms. A common language for medical devices supports better interoperability, clearer communication and overall supply chain information flow across all related parties..

“The GMDN Agency is committed to working with partners around the world to support patient safety, regulatory efficiency and global harmonisation. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Gulf Health Council and its Member States as they develop the use of GMDN data across their systems.”

The “TAAWON” Portal will aggregate medical device data from multiple trusted sources, including the GMDN Agency, to support data standardisation, procurement activities, and information management across the Gulf Health Council ecosystem.

This agreement is part of the Gulf Health Council’s broader digital transformation strategy to enhance data quality, interoperability, transparency, and regional collaboration across healthcare supply chain and procurement systems.

It will also enable the integration of GMDN Categories into the “TAAWON” Platform to support improved classification, navigation, reporting, and analysis of medical device records.

The Gulf Health Council serves the Member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and supports regional health cooperation initiatives across the region.

Fatthi Alkathiri, Executive Director of Gulf Joint Procurement Program, Gulf Health Council at the Gulf Health Council, said: “The “TAAWON” Portal plays an important role in supporting joint procurement and collaboration between GCC Member States and medical device companies. Incorporating GMDN Terms and Definitions into the portal will help improve the consistency and quality of medical device data used across our processes.

“This agreement supports the Gulf Health Council’s efforts to standardise medical device nomenclature, strengthen digital infrastructure, and advance regional integration across procurement and related regulatory activities. By using internationally recognised terminology, we can support clearer communication, improved data analysis and greater alignment across Member States.

“We value our partnership with the GMDN Agency and welcome this agreement as an important step in supporting more efficient, transparent and harmonised medical device procurement across the region.”