(Bloomberg) -- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to travel to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week in a push to get a free trade deal with Gulf countries over the line.
The British government aims to increase bilateral trade with the region by 16% through future partnerships focused on areas including technology, defense and security, according to a statement from Downing Street.
Starmer is due to arrive in the UAE on Sunday, where he will meet President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He will then head to Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
A free trade agreement between the UK and oil-rich Gulf nations may be signed before the end of the year, with negotiations already in the final stages, Bloomberg reported in November.
“There is huge untapped potential in this region, which is why, while here, I will be making the case to accelerate progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement,” Starmer said in a statement.
After a difficult start to his tenure as prime minister, Starmer is working to spur economic growth and secure ties with key international partners. The visit is the prime minister’s first to the Gulf since taking office in July, and follows a new green energy partnership with Qatar signed last week. If an agreement is concluded soon, it will give a political boost to the Labour government, which has yet to sign any FTAs since winning power.
Negotiations for the new free trade deal will be held with the GCC, which is made up of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Those countries have a gross domestic product of around $2.2 trillion, roughly the same as Brazil. Together, they were the UK’s seventh-largest export market last year.
The UK’s trade with the UAE is worth £23 billion ($29 billion), while with Saudi Arabia it amounts to £17 billion.
Starmer will also discuss wider security concerns in the Middle East on his visit, calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, the release of all hostages and increased aid into Gaza, according to the UK statement on Saturday.
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