Sir Keir Starmer will journey to the Persian Gulf at this time as he tries to construct stronger commerce ties with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
In his first go to to the area as prime minister, he’ll goal to spice up funding within the UK and deepen defence and safety partnerships, mentioned Quantity 10.
The 2 Center Japanese international locations are amongst Britain’s “most vital modern-day partners”, it mentioned in a press release.
After flying to the Gulf on Sunday evening, Sir Keir will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on Monday.
Later that day, he’ll fly to Saudi Arabia the place he could have talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Sir Keir is going through calls from human rights teams to boost with Saudi leaders the rising variety of executions.
The PM mentioned: “Driving long-term growth at home requires us to strengthen partnerships abroad.”
He added that his journey will “build a network of partners” targeted on “driving high-quality growth”.
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12:59
Saudi ambassador to UK talks to Sky
Commerce value billions
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are each main traders within the UK. Commerce with the Emirates is value £23bn, whereas commerce with Saudi Arabia is value £17bn.
Greater than 7,000 UK companies export items to Saudi Arabia, with such items and companies supporting virtually 90,000 jobs throughout the nation, whereas 14,000 UK companies despatched items to UAE final yr.
Saudi Arabia can also be the UK’s largest defence exports market, value £3.8bn a yr to British business.
Stability within the Center East is ready to be “high up the agenda” throughout the go to, together with the necessity for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza, the discharge of all hostages, and the pressing acceleration of support into Gaza, the No 10 assertion added.
‘Execution disaster’
Human rights authorized group Reprieve has known as on Sir Keir to boost what it described as an “execution crisis” with Saudi leaders.
Saudi Arabia has reportedly executed 300 individuals in 2024, its highest-ever whole in a single yr.
Reprieve’s deputy govt director Dan Dolan mentioned: “When Boris Johnson visited Mohammed bin Salman in 2022, three days after the mass execution of 81 people, Sir Keir Starmer was rightly scathing of Johnson’s unconditional embrace of one of the world’s most prolific executioners of protesters.
“Now he’s the prime minister, he has the chance to handle the escalating execution disaster in Saudi Arabia.”
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2:17
Qatari PM to ‘stabilise’ Gaza earlier than Trump in workplace
The journey comes after the state go to earlier this week by the Qatari emir who agreed a brand new long-term inexperienced power partnership, deepened defence and safety ties and mentioned the significance of regional stability.
He could have talks with President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday earlier than assembly British troops deployed over Christmas.
