The UK has signed a trade agreement with six Gulf nations, in what is described as a huge win for British business.
The deal with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is expected to eliminate around 580 million pounds in annual tariffs on British exports once fully in force.
The GCC agreement is the third major trade deal secured under UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government, following agreements with India and South Korea.
It also said it would make it easier for British firms to expand and partner in the Gulf, which will support jobs.
Activist groups have criticised the lack of detail on human rights and labour protections in the deal. But the deal was welcomed by Chris Southworth, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) UK, as a “boost to business confidence”.
The Conservatives, who began the negotiations for the deal when in government, said it was “another major Brexit opportunity” which Labour risked “throwing away” because of what it saw as Labour’s pro-EU stance.