Britain's new trade ministers embarked on a visit to the Gulf region on Monday for talks on a potential trade deal, marking their first joint visit since the new

government took office. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Minister for Trade Policy Douglas Alexander are set to meet with representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

In recent years, trade has been a challenging area for the British economy, with many business groups citing Brexit as a key factor in this decline. The Labour government, which came to power after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's landslide victory in July, is now seeking to reverse this trend. In addition to the Gulf region, the government is also pursuing trade agreements with India, Switzerland, and South Korea as part of its broader strategy to stimulate economic growth.

"I want to secure a high-quality trade deal that supports jobs, helps UK companies expand their presence in the region, and offers more choice for consumers. It's great to be here to start those discussions," said Reynolds in a statement.

According to estimates from the UK's Business and Trade Department, a free trade agreement with the GCC could potentially add £1.6 billion ($2.10 billion) to the British economy over the long term.

Among the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies, Britain has ranked lowest in terms of growth in goods and services exports since 2019, even when factoring in its significant trade in precious metals, according to national accounts data. Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.