Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Britain wants its trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council signed within weeks as it seeks deeper economic ties with a region whose importance to global energy, investment and trade is critical amid the six-month Iran war.

Anas Sarwar, the UK’s new Minister of State for Trade, said the country was ready to sign the GCC agreement and begin preparatory work towards a deeper bilateral agreement with the UAE.

“We’re ready to sign the GCC deal,” Mr Sarwar told The National. “We’re ready to start the preparatory work on what a bilateral agreement would look like, between the UK and the UAE.”

“I want this to be discussions that are talking about weeks rather than months. Certainly don’t want to be discussions that are going on for years.”

Read more here: thenationalnews.com/business/economy/2026/09/01/uk-ready-to-sign-gulf-trade-deal-within-weeks-says-trade-minister

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