Britain is launching talks on Wednesday for a comprehensive free trade deal with Gulf Co-operation Council countries, aimed at boosting their economies and taking businesses to the next level.
UK Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is in the Saudi capital Riyadh to meet GCC Secretary General Dr Nayef Falah Al Hajraf.
The trade secretary expects the “hard yards of negotiations” to begin right away with the goal of striking a comprehensive free trade agreement with the GCC in sight.
Ms Trevelyan is then heading to Dubai on Thursday as she opens the initial talks to strike a deal with the six GGC countries, which follow months of exploratory discussions. The discussions have involved Downing Street and the Foreign Office, and the Department for International Trade has now put negotiations on a formal footing.
“We have done a lot of preparation work to get to this point so we are starting with a blank canvas,” said a British trade official. “The hard yards of negotiations will start now”.
It is expected that the bargaining for a deal that benefits both sides will be concluded within a year, the official said.
“The Secretary of State has been quite pragmatic on how long these negotiations will take. She's looking for a comprehensive, modern and forward leaning FTA [Free Trade Agreement] and she hopes that we can reach agreement quite quickly.”
No formal deadline has been set but both parties want to move quickly on a deal.
It is understood that the GCC countries are “really warm” to a deal and both sides are “pushing hard” to get an agreement signed by 2023.
A free trade deal would reduce or remove tariffs on UK food and drink exports. Current rates range from 5 per cent to 25 per cent on various food products.
An FTA would also boost investments in the renewable energy sector to help reduce carbon emissions.
The British official is planning to meet her counterparts from the other GCC countries; the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The talks are expected to culminate in a trade deal worth an estimated $1.9 billion a year to the UK economy.
“From our fantastic British food and drink to our outstanding financial services, I’m excited to open up new markets for UK businesses large and small, and supporting the more than 10,000 SMEs [small and medium enterprises] already exporting to the region,” Mrs Trevelyan said.
The UK economy has been struggling with the global fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. Inflation has hit a 40-year high of 9 per cent amid the rising cost of living, triggered in recent months by fuel and energy price rises.
Last week, sterling sank below $1.20 — its lowest level since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
The UK economy was slowly recovering from the shock of Covid-19 but other challenges including Brexit and global supply chain disruptions have taken their toll. Last February, the Office for National Statistics in the UK said the economy recorded its worst performance for more than 300 years in 2020.
A UK-GCC deal would mean significant benefits for British farmers and producers, as the Gulf is highly dependent on imported food, and would create more job opportunities as well as increase investment in the UK and GGC countries.
Gulf investments supported over 25,000 UK jobs in 2019 — three times the number of jobs a decade earlier, according the latest official UK data.
More joint projects would develop new technologies that increase energy efficiency in homes, buildings and businesses.
“It is also extremely helpful that the UK and GCC are committed to work towards seeking the opportunities from ‘green innovation’, which will bring significant opportunities for Britain’s innovative renewable energy companies which are already leading the way in this area of global concern,” said Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, an umbrella organisation which represents manufacturers across the UK.
“We look forward to working with government to make sure manufacturers large and small are able to benefit from the business possibilities this deal will open up.”
About 10,700 SMEs from the UK exported goods to the GCC in 2020, with SMEs accounting for more than 85 per cent of total UK goods exports to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to official UK data.
Last month, the European Union unveiled a new overarching strategy for its future relationship with GCC states, covering everything from global security and trade to the green transition and digitalisation.
Andrea Matteo Fontana, the European bloc's ambassador to the UAE, told The National that the plan was the first strategy of its kind between the two groups.
The UK officially left the EU in 2020, four years after a public referendum on its membership of the bloc. It has started talks on free trade agreements with other countries, including the US, Australia and New Zealand.
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
MATCH INFO
Iceland 0 England 1 (Sterling pen 90 1)
Man of the match Kari Arnason (Iceland)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
3%20Body%20Problem
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
