Davos: A meeting was held on Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland, attended by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi; Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Kassabi; Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef; Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Abdullah Al-Ajeel Al-Askar; Bahraini Minister of Industry and Commerce Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro; Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Trade Ahmad Al-Sayed; and United Kingdom (UK) Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the meeting on the sidelines of the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum reviewed developments in the free-trade agreement between the GCC member states and the UK and the progress of negotiations, emphasizing the importance of moving forward with signing the agreement and overcoming all obstacles.
Ways to enhance economic and trade relations between the GCC states and the UK were discussed, along with opportunities for cooperation in vital sectors, to support the strategic partnership, advance mutual interests, expand trade and promote investment amid global economic changes.
The GCC secretary-general affirmed that these meetings help bring perspectives closer together, enhancing commercial and economic dialogue and expanding areas of cooperation between the GCC member states and international partners. He praised the growing relations between the GCC states and the UK.