Keir Starmer will meet the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince Mohammed bin Salmanas part of a controversial tour of the country set up this week to attract investment for a pledge to overhaul Britain’s infrastructure.
On his last overseas trip, the prime minister will have his head in the bay this weekend. He first traveled to United Arab Emirates for a meeting with its president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, before traveling to Saudi Arabia. Starmer will use the move to push for a free trade deal with the group of six Gulf nations – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia’s courtship will be controversial due to widely held concerns about its human rights record and actions in his war with Yemen. Prince Mohammed is believed to have US intelligence ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. In 2022, Starmer accused Boris Johnson of “go hat in hand from dictator to dictator” He preceded the visit of the kingdom, which was an attempt to make him less dependent on Russian industry.
But officials said the UAE and Saudi Arabia There are already big investors in the UK. Trade with Saudi Arabia is worth £17bn, supporting almost 90,000 jobs across the UK. Starmer’s trip will also be used to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, a hostage release and an acceleration of aid.
The government is seeking closer ties with the investment regimes needed to rescue its efforts, which Starmer has promised green energy. Downing Street described them as “the partners of today’s era” most vital to increasing investment and deepening defense and security ties.
“It takes us a long time to push at home to strengthen partnerships abroad,” Starmer said. “That’s why I’m going to the Gulf this week to build a network of members in the UK, which is focused on high-quality development, boosting opportunities and delivering for people at home.”
The government is engaged in a common interest in the investment of the Gulf state. The starmer’s trip comes days after a state visit to Britain by Qatar’s chief minister, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. It deals with agreements on green energy partnership and defense and security cooperation.