British prime minister Kemi Badenoch is all set to visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in an attempt to make progress on an enterprising trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The 5-day business tour will Badenoch to meet with her ministerial counterparts in each of the highlighted nations, as well as the new Secretary General of the GCC, Jasem Al-Budaiwi.
The United Kingdom’s negotiation with the 6-country bloc for a free trade deal started in 2022, and so far, three rounds of talks and negotiations have been done, with the fourth talk expected to happen sometime this year.
Meanwhile, according to the government, reports have shown that a deal with the GCC is estimated to increase the United Kingdom’s trade by at least 16%, thereby adding not less than £1.6 billion to the nation’s economy.