LMEC x UK Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement Programme

The Labour Middle East Council (LMEC) has launched a UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) programme to provide companies an opportunity to inform ongoing negotiations.

This feedback will be shared with UK government ministers, members of parliament, the Department for Business & Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to support policy decisions.

Meeting monthly, the programme offers a forum for constructive dialogue, emphasising the significant yet often overlooked value of this crucial trading relationship. Operating independently from the official Government-to-Government (G2G) FTA negotiation process, the programme will comprise a lead working group in the UK, led by LMEC, alongside a parallel working group based in the GCC to capture localised insights. The GCC working group will be directed and coordinated by Simon Penney.

The GCC working group’s objectives include:

• Providing UK businesses operating in the GCC a direct channel to contribute to negotiations;

• Ensuring the evolving FTA framework captures as wide a range of interests as possible;

• Collaborating with the GCC Secretariat and negotiation teams to support business and government relations;

• Engaging key GCC stakeholders to ensure each country's stance is well-understood within the broader G2G context.

For more information, please contact info@labourmena.co.uk.