article author: Najlaa Habriri – Asharq Al-Awsat Sun, 2026-06-28 16: 07 LONDON: British Minister of State for Trade Chris Bryant has described the free trade agreement between the UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council as a “landmark” deal, not only because of its economic value, but because it marks the first agreement of its kind between the GCC and a G7 country. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Bryant said the agreement could enter into force “in maybe a year, 14 months maybe at most” after signature. London, he said, hopes to sign the agreement in September or October, once the legal review of the text has been completed. Main category: Business & Economy Tags: uk-gcc deal FTA



