UAE and Saudi Arabia are among Britain’s “most vital modern-day partners”, No 10 says. It comes as human rights group Reprieve called on Starmer to raise what it described as an “execution crisis” with Saudi leaders, with 300 killed this year..reports Asian Lite News
Keir Starmer will travel to the Gulf today as he tries to build stronger trade ties with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In his first visit to the region as prime minister, he will aim to boost investment in the UK and deepen defence and security partnerships, said Number 10.
The two Middle Eastern countries are among Britain’s “most vital modern-day partners”, it said in a statement. After flying to the Gulf on Sunday night, Starmer will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on Monday. Later that day, he will fly to Saudi Arabia where he will have talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Starmer is facing calls from human rights groups to raise with Saudi leaders the rising number of executions. The PM said: “Driving long-term growth at home requires us to strengthen partnerships abroad.” North of England will benefit from closer ties to Saudi says, Starmer, as he visits Middle East
He added that his trip will “build a network of partners” focused on “driving high-quality growth”. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are both major investors in the UK. Trade with the Emirates is worth £23bn, while trade with Saudi Arabia is worth £17bn.
More than 7,000 UK businesses export goods to Saudi Arabia, with such goods and services supporting almost 90,000 jobs across the country, while 14,000 UK businesses sent goods to UAE last year. Saudi Arabia is also the UK’s largest defence exports market, worth £3.8bn a year to British industry.
Stability in the Middle East is set to be “high up the agenda” during the visit, including the need for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and the urgent acceleration of aid into Gaza, the No 10 statement added.
Human rights legal group Reprieve has called on Sir Keir to raise what it described as an “execution crisis” with Saudi leaders. Saudi Arabia has reportedly executed 300 people in 2024, its highest-ever total in one year.
Reprieve’s deputy executive director Dan Dolan said: “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 is the prime minister, he has the opportunity to address the escalating execution crisis in Saudi Arabia.”
The trip comes after the state visit earlier this week by the Qatari emir who agreed a new long-term green energy partnership, deepened defence and security ties and discussed the importance of regional stability.
Following his Gulf trip, Starmer is expected to travel to Cyprus on Monday night. He will have talks with President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday before meeting British troops deployed over Christmas.
Request from Khashoggi’s wife
Jamal Khashoggi’s widow has urged Starmer to raise her husband’s murder at his meeting with the Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said it was incumbent on the UK to raise the case of her husband, who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist who was critical of the Saudi government and wrote a column for the Washington Post. US intelligence believes Prince Mohammed directly ordered his murder, which the kingdom strenuously denies.
Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said that during his visit to Saudi Arabia, Starmer should ask: “What happened? Where is the justice for Jamal Khashoggi?”
She added: “We look here to your country, to the UK and to the US and most western countries, with respect because you have justice and you care for democratic and human rights. Forgetting Jamal’s case does not align with the values of justice and democratic and human rights in your country.”
Khashoggi’s widow, who lives in the US after being granted political asylum, said that despite the trial and sentencing of eight people accused of involvement in her husband’s murder, she had received no apology or compensation from the kingdom.
“I hope my husband’s case has not been forgotten, and I will always maintain to make sure it is not forgotten,” she said. “There is unfinished business here. There has to be justice for Jamal Khashoggi.”
She also urged Starmer to call for the release of political prisoners who have waited for years without trial, including the blogger Essam al-Zamil, an economist friend of Khashoggi’s detained since September 2017 on charges including “seeking to stir up sedition via Twitter”.
Starmer is due to travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday after meetings in the UAE. Before his trip, Downing Street made a flurry of Saudi investment announcements and said closer ties between the UK and Saudi Arabia would create more than 4,000 British jobs, many of them in the north of England.
In a statement, Starmer said he was “in the Gulf forging closer ties and strengthening relationships that support our growth mission in every corner of the country.
ALSO READ: US announces $988 mn assistance package for Ukraine
