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  1. Negotiations

GCC


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

Gulf countries, Turkey sign FTA deal
31-May-2005     China Daily
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and Turkey signed an agreement Monday to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA).
Syria to sign free trade agreement with GCC
22-May-2005     Xinhua
Syria will sign a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in June, the official al-Thawra newspaper said Friday.
Gulf states discuss economic tie-up, FTA with the US
8-May-2005    
Finance ministers from six Gulf states met yesterday to discuss economic integration, including a unified currency, and a free trade agreement with the United States, an official said.
Lubna calls on Japan to enter into FTA talks with the GCC
2-May-2005     Khaleej Times
Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Economy and Planning, yesterday urged Japan to enter into free trade negotiations with the GCC states so as to bolster its trade and investments ties with the region.
Framework agreement between Mercosur and GCC is ready to be signed
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.
Trade pacts not aimed at busting GCC, says US
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.
GCC states 'in talks over FTAs'
25-Dec-2004    
TALKS are pushing ahead for individual free trade agreements with the US for all the GCC states, it was declared yesterday.
Rift over FTA could harm Gulf economic integration
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.
US trade tactic splits Arab states
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.
GCC: Benefits of signing free trade accords
4-Oct-2004     Zawya
The GCC states are seeking, both individually and collectively, to rapidly develop their foreign trade and economic relations.