Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to (a) help ensure security and (b) promote the UK’s economic interests in the Gulf.
The Government works closely with all our friends in the Gulf to strengthen our shared security and prosperity interests, including through dialogue to promote regional stability, initiatives to tackle illicit finance and terrorism, and defence cooperation.
Britain has strong bilateral trading relationships with the Gulf and it is already one of our largest export destinations, with total trade of over £30 billion in 2020. We are committed to broadening and deepening our shared economic interests further, including through government-to-government trade dialogues, and also within specific sectors following conclusion of the UK-GCC Joint Trade and Investment Review.