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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

GCC states advised to sign free trade pact with China
19-Jun-2009     Emirates 24/7
Urgent talks should be held to help reach a free trade agreement (FTA) between Gulf Cooperation Council member states and China, said a new GCC study.
GCC to sign EFTA trade deal
4-Jun-2009     Tax-News
GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Attiyah has announced that the Gulf Cooperation Council will sign a joint free trade agreement with the EFTA states, Switzerland Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein later this month. Both parties agreed the text of the agreement on April 24, 2008 and have now signalled they wish the agreement to enter into force.
GCC may have more FTAs in near future
22-Dec-2008     Zawya
The GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed last week comes almost a year after the six gulf nations announced a common market to remove trade barriers within themselves and to deal with the world as one entity. Economists predict that the agreement will serve as a precursor to more FTAs between Gulf and prominent Asian economies.
First GCC trade accord signed with Singapore
15-Dec-2008     Gulf News
The six Gulf oil producers on Monday signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Singapore, the first-ever FTA for the GCC
Pakistan pushing for more free trade with GCC
8-Dec-2008    
Pakistan is trying hard to sign Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Gulf countries to give boost to its ailing economy, said a senior official.
Australia seeks free trade deal with GCC
5-Nov-2008    
Australian Minister for Trade Simon Crean, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, has reaffirmed the need to initiate talks for a free trade agreement between the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Australia.
Japan-GCC: Free trade deal on the way
9-Oct-2008     GDN
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) is on the verge of signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan, it was revealed yesterday.
GCC, India FTA talks on track for early deal
21-Sep-2008    
Talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the six-nation Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and India have made substantial progress with the two sides committing to conclude the deal as early as possible.
Gulf states set to start FTA talks with Iran
12-Sep-2008     Emirates Business 24/7
Gulf states have decided to accept an offer from Tehran to begin talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) that will add Iran to the list of many countries negotiating with the region for such a deal
GCC, EFTA to sign FTA by year-end
11-Jun-2008     Arabian Business
A free trade agreement between the GCC and the European Free Trade Association could be signed by the end of 2008, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.