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Gulf, UK leaders to meet in London for UK-GCC Strategic Dialogue
Qatar's Ministry of Commerce and Industry joins as strategic partner as The Business Year confirms a senior UK and Gulf speaker lineup for October 20
- PUBLISHED: Mon 21 Sept 2026, 1:56 PM
The Business Year's UK-GCC Strategic Dialogue will bring government representatives, sovereign investors and corporate leaders from Britain and the Gulf together in London on October 20.
Set to take place at Guildhall, the event comes months after the conclusion of the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement in May and will focus on turning the agreement into new trade, investment and business partnerships between the two regions.
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The Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the State of Qatar has been confirmed as the latest institutional partner for the Dialogue, joining UK Export Finance, the City of London Corporation, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority, TheCityUK and TechUK. The event will be held under the patronage of the GCC Secretariat.
Speakers will span government, finance, sovereign investment and technology. Among those participating are GCC Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi; Lady Mayor of London Dame Susan Langley; Revolut chairman Martin Gilbert; Qatar Free Zones Authority CEO Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Faisal Al-Thani; Digital Cooperation Organization Secretary General Deemah AlYahya; Invest Oman CEO Nasser Al Kindi; Muscat Stock Exchange CEO Haitham Al Salmi; and Markaz CEO Ali Khalil.
Carlos Martinez, CEO of The Business Year, said the timing of the event offered an opportunity for both sides to build on the momentum created by the trade agreement. "This Dialogue brings the people who will shape what comes next into one room: the governments that negotiated the agreement, the sovereign investors who will act on it, and the companies that will build the trade it creates," he said.
The day-long programme will centre on bilateral investment ties, market access and opportunities for greater cooperation, alongside high-level networking.
The initiative is also supported by organisations including Kuwait Banking Association, Zain Group, Qatar Insurance Company, Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, Muscat Stock Exchange and Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones.
