Talks begin on GCC-UK deal to boost trade by at least 16%

RIYADH: Negotiations aimed at boosting trade between the UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which currently stands at $34 billion, began in Riyadh on Wednesday.

UK Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan met GCC Secretary-General Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajjraf to launch the trade talks, according to an official press release.

The UK is the third-largest export market for the GCC, and the new trade negotiations are expected to benefit exporters from both jurisdictions.