His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stated that the Commerce Ministers of the GCC member states and the United Kingdom (UK) have commended the significant progress achieved in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between the two sides. They expressed their anticipation for concluding the negotiations in the near future, contributing to mutual interests and a unified vision for sustainable and promising economic growth.
This announcement followed a virtual meeting held today, Monday, May 11, 2026, between the GCC Commerce Ministers and their UK counterpart, with the participation of His Excellency the GCC Secretary General. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Mr Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain—President of the current session—and attended by Their Excellencies the Commerce Ministers of the GCC member states.
His Excellency further pointed out that the meeting addressed several key topics aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership. These included overcoming remaining obstacles and aligning viewpoints on all aspects related to the Free Trade Agreement in preparation for its signing in the near future.