UK agrees £3.7bn trade deal with six Gulf states

The UK has signed a trade agreement with six Gulf Cooperation Council states (Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) projected to be worth £3.7bn to the economy. Once fully implemented it will remove about £580m a year in tariffs on British exports, easing market access for goods such as cheddar, butter and chocolate and supporting UK exporters, jobs and investment in the region. Government ministers framed the deal as a boost for businesses and a signal of confidence that could be positive for sterling and UK export sectors; rights groups warned the pact lacks strong human‑rights, labour and climate protections which could complicate political and reputational fallout. The agreement is the government’s third trade deal (after India and South Korea) and the first between a G7 country and the GCC, with likely sectoral gains for food producers and exporters but potential geopolitical and ESG tradeoffs that could temper market reaction.