- Negotiations
The Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, with Yemen hoping to join by 2016) is dealing head-on with bilateral free trade agreements at various levels. On the one hand, it has gone through a lot of tension as its member countries have been drawn into individual bilateral treaties with foreign powers like the United States, including with a major row between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain when Bahrain signed with Washington. On the other hand, it has been working as a group to establish FTAs with others, including Australia, China, Mercosur, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Turkey, New Zealand, India, Iran, ASEAN and the European Union. It signed an FTA with Syria in 2005, and more recently with Singapore (2008) and EFTA (2009).
last update: May 2012
photo: US Department of State/Wikimedia Commons
28-Apr-2005
The text of the framework of the free trade agreement between the Mercosur and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is ready to be singed, a Brazilian foreign ministry official has disclosed.
1-Feb-2005
TradeArabia News
The US hopes free trade agreements with Bahrain and other neighbours of Saudi Arabia will strengthen the Gulf Co-operation Council — not break it up, a US trade official said.
25-Dec-2004
TALKS are pushing ahead for individual free trade agreements with the US for all the GCC states, it was declared yesterday.
23-Dec-2004
Khaleej Times
The Saudi-Bahraini dispute over Manama’s free trade pact with Washington that overshadowed a summit of Gulf Arab states could derail their bid for economic integration, economists said yesterday.
22-Dec-2004
IPS
A free trade deal between the United States and the tiny Persian Gulf Kingdom of Bahrain is causing friction with other Arab states, which say the pact could weaken their economic bloc ahead of future trade talks with Washington.
4-Oct-2004
Zawya
The GCC states are seeking, both individually and collectively, to rapidly develop their foreign trade and economic relations.
2-Sep-2004
The framework for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the GCC states will be signed this week, it has been revealed. The agreement will be signed during the visit of Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Dr Mohammed Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, who will be heading a GCC delegation, including senior officials from Bahrain’s Commerce Ministry.
7-Jul-2004
China is to sign a trade and economic cooperation pact with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
11-May-2004
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are exploring the possibility of signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with India, Commerce Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, has said.
