British Prime Minister Keir Starmer began a multi-day visit to the Gulf yesterday, his first trip to the region since taking office, seeking stronger economic and defense ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
The UK government in a statement on Saturday said Starmer aims to boost investment and deepen defense and security partnerships, describing the two Middle Eastern countries as “some of the UK’s most vital modern-day partners.”
Starmer, elected to lead the world’s sixth-largest economy in July, arrived in the UAE yesterday, where he is due to hold talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today. He would fly to Saudi Arabia later on the same day to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Photo: Reuters
Starmer would also be looking to repair relations between the UK and UAE that soured under the previous Conservative government after an Abu Dhabi-backed bid to buy the Telegraph newspaper failed.
Stability in the Middle East is expected to be “high up the agenda” during the visit, including the pressing need for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, the release of all hostages and the urgent acceleration of aid into Gaza, the statement added.
“There is huge untapped potential in this region,” Starmer said, who is aiming to secure investment from wealthy Gulf states to help fund his mission to rebuild the UK’s aging infrastructure and shift to cleaner energy.
“I will be making the case to accelerate progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC] Free Trade Agreement, deepen our research and development collaboration and partner on projects of the future,” he added.
The government counts both Gulf monarchies as major investors, with trade between the UK and the UAE worth ￡23 billion (US$29.3 billion) and that with Saudi Arabia estimated at ￡17 billion.
British trade ministers visited the region in September to try to advance free trade deal talks with the GCC, which also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Such a deal is estimated to increase bilateral trade by 16 percent and potentially add ￡8.6 billion a year in the long run.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was in the UK for a state visit last week, where he was welcomed by British King Charles and Starmer in a show of ceremonial pageantry. The trip ended with the two countries pledging to bolster their investment relationship.
Starmer is scheduled to travel to Cyprus to meet Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides tomorrow, the first bilateral visit by a UK leader to the Commonwealth country in more than five decades, to discuss closer cooperation on shared security challenges in the region, the statement added.
The Gulf visit would be Starmer’s 15th international trip since he entered Number 10 on July 5.
Opponents have criticized the amount of time he has spent out of the country, but allies insist the trips have been vital to get to know other world leaders.
Starmer, 61, has been insisting in capitals that “Britain is back on the world stage” following rancor over its departure from the EU.
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