The UK has agreed a major trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), becoming the first G7 country to secure such an agreement with the bloc comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The government said the agreement could add an estimated £3.7bn annually to the UK economy in the long term and increase wages by £1.9bn a year. The deal removes tariffs on a range of British exports including food products, medical equipment, and advanced manufacturing goods.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the agreement would support jobs, wages, and investment, while Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle described it as a signal of economic confidence during a period of global instability.
Key developments:
- Estimated £580m in annual export duties set to be removed
- UK services firms gain guaranteed GCC market access
- New provisions allow freer cross-border data flows
- Customs clearance targets reduced to as little as six hours for some shipments
Rights groups have also raised concerns regarding labour protections, human rights, and climate implications linked to GCC member states.
ℹ️ GOV.UK
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
tut0ugh 