First UK-GCC business forum since free trade deal to be held in London

RIYADH: The UK and Gulf Cooperation Council's first major business forum since signing a bilateral trade deal will be held in London on Oct. 20. The UK and the GCC concluded negotiations on the free trade agreement on May 20, with a deal that will see tariffs removed on around 93 percent of goods, eliminating an estimated £580 million ($766.48 million) of duties a year. Total UK-GCC trade was valued at around £53 billion in 2025, and the deal could raise bilateral trade by nearly 20 percent. T