Speaking in an interview, Dr. Liam Fox, the former Secretary of State for International Trade, stated that strengthening relations with the Gulf will be among the top priorities of the British government for the post-Brexit period. He also added that the GCC is a big market for Britain and there are vast amounts of investments that flow into Britain from the Gulf. In this context, the relationship between Britain and the Gulf countries is important, he added.
Liam Fox considers that Brexit will provide a medium that can achieve more flexible trade agreements with the GCC countries to Britain. The cooperation with the GCC countries can be extended in a way that includes the fields of health sciences, financial and legal services, and the services sector in general, he added. Also, he stated that Britain and the GCC could build partnerships for exporting goods and services to Europe and Central Asia.
Britain is among the five largest economies and has one of the largest military budgets in the world. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest clients of the UK arms trade. Recently, Britain has frequently faced criticism for providing arms to Saudi Arabia that has been accused of violating human rights in Yemen.
