The summit comes a year after the first round of talks on a UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement. The GCC is one of the UK’s most important trading partners, with trade growing to £65.2 billion in 2022—an increase of over 75 per cent in current prices, UK’s department of business and trade said in a press release.
A deal could increase UK businesses’ access to booming markets in the Gulf and will also make it easier for people across the GCC to access UK expertise in areas including renewables and artificial intelligence.
During the visit, the minister also toured the Port of Salalah, the biggest port in Oman, ranked the second most efficient container port in the world in 2021.
Oliver Christian, the government’s new trade commissioner for the Middle East, also joined Huddleston for discussions.
“We already have powerful trade ties with the GCC, and I am pleased to be able to take this chance to further improve our relationship. We want a modern, comprehensive, and ambitious free trade deal that will promote innovation, encourage investment, and help develop the industries of the future. There’s a great prize on offer here—the potential for what we can achieve together in the years and decades to come is huge,” said Huddleston.
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