However, the digital chapter does not include a dispute settlement mechanism, meaning the data localization commitments are not legally binding and Gulf states could choose to ignore them.
The deal is also unlikely to win over environmental groups, as it contains controversial provisions that give investors the right to sue governments over measures they believe damage their investments — such as carbon-cutting policies.
However, in the government’s breakdown of the deal, it details “provisions that recognise our right to regulate to meet environmental objectives.”
Efforts to secure the deal have stretched across successive governments, with negotiations kicking off under Boris Johnson’s leadership in 2022.
Momentum has ramped up in recent months, with several senior British figures drafted in as talks entered final stages.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant visited the Gulf in early February, while the Prince of Wales touched down in Saudi Arabia the following week to push the deal over the line. More recently, Starmer’s chief business and trade adviser, Varun Chandra, was in Riyadh last week to discuss ongoing negotiations, a senior government official confirmed.