ALBAWABA- On Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warmly welcomed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.
This visit marks a pivotal stop in Starmer’s first official tour of the Gulf since taking office, emphasizing his agenda to strengthen economic, defense, and security ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
During their meeting, discussions focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation and addressing key regional and international issues.
High on the agenda were topics like stability in the Middle East, with Starmer advocating for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, the release of hostages, and accelerating humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Starmer's Gulf tour is driven by ambitions to secure investments from the resource-rich region to support the UK’s transition to cleaner energy, infrastructure renewal, and bolstering trade.
Ahead of his Saudi visit, he held talks in the UAE with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The UK is also pushing to expedite progress on a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) free trade agreement, which could boost bilateral trade by 16% and add £8.6 billion annually.
This trip underscores the growing significance of Gulf states as vital economic and strategic partners for the UK. Starmer is expected to conclude his tour with a landmark visit to Cyprus, marking the first such trip by a British leader to the country in over 50 years.
