LONDON: The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UK is built on an enduring partnership and this week’s visit has presented significant opportunities for British businesses, said a British trade minister.
Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox said: “Today both kingdoms are transforming their economic prospects and roles in the world.”
Britain is preparing to leave the European Union and trade as an independent nation for the first time in more than 40 years. While, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 has introduced a program of social and economic reform, with the potential to transform the country and wider Middle East.
“Vision 2030 is vital for the future of Saudi Arabia and the wider region, but it’s also an exciting prospect for the UK. We are a world leader across a range of sectors, and well placed to help with these vital reforms,” commented Fox in the Evening Standard.
Fox added the UK and Saudi Arabia have “agreed a landmark ambition for around £65 billion of mutual trade and investment opportunities over the coming years, including direct investment in the UK and new Saudi public procurement with UK companies.”
With the launch of Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 two years ago, Saudi Arabia has entered a new era of progress and prosperity, with plans to diversify the Kingdom’s economy by reducing dependency on oil, boosting foreign investment and developing various sectors.
Under this program, some governmental bodies and ministries underwent a restructuring process and women are being given greater responsibility in society.
The health, education and tourism sectors are among those undergoing development in the Kingdom and according to Fox, the UK is “a world leader across a range of sectors, and well placed to help with these vital reforms.”
“Take education. More than 130,000 UK qualifications are given out in Saudi Arabia every year. Some 90 Saudi schools already use the UK educational curriculum and our universities are working together, with King Saud University in Riyadh, allocating more than £7 million for partnerships with UK institutions over the next five years,” he said.
Fox went on to say that the UK is also the right partner on health care, promoting tourism, and handling large-scale events.
“Saudi Arabia is on the path of social reform, and it is in our national interest to support our important regional ally. Those who want to see a more liberal and safer region should welcome this vision, which I believe the Crown Prince will deliver,” he concluded.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 can build on what is already a strong alliance with Britain — minister
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 can build on what is already a strong alliance with Britain — minister
- UK and KSA have agreed landmark ambition for around £65 billion of mutual trade and investment opportunities
- Both kingdoms are transforming their economic prospects and roles in the world
Related
Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says
- Abdulaziz Alwasil tells UN Security Council the situation in southern Yemen is ‘a just cause with social and historic dimensions’ that can only be resolved through dialogue
- Recent military activity in the south was unilateral, resulting in an escalation that harms the interests of Yemeni people and undermines efforts to address issues in the south, he said
NEW YORK CITY: Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia’s national security is a “red line” and will be met with decisive action, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Speaking during a meeting of the council to discuss Yemen, Abdulaziz Alwasil said the situation in the south of the country is “a just cause with social and historic dimensions” that can only be resolved through dialogue.
“We stress that any attempt to threaten our national security is a red line, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions and steps to address it and neutralize it,” he added.
Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni government in their efforts to achieve security, stability, development and peace while preserving national unity.
He said military activity by Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra on Dec. 2, 2025, was unilateral, did not have the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council, and was not carried out in coordination with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
It had resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, undermined efforts to address the issues in the south, and ran counter to the coalition’s objectives, Alwasil added.
The Kingdom, working with its coalition partners, the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, had moved to contain the situation by dispatching a military force to coordinate arrangements with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, he said.
The aim was to ensure the return of the southern council’s forces to their previous positions outside of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and the handover of camps to legitimate government forces and local authorities in line with agreed procedures, Alwasil added.
He expressed regret over the military operations that took place in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, close to Saudi Arabia’s southern border, which he said posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as the security of Yemen and regional stability. Such steps were extremely dangerous, he added, and contradicted the principles on which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had been founded.
Alwasil welcomed a prisoner and detainee exchange agreement signed in Muscat on Dec. 23, which he described as an important humanitarian measure to alleviate suffering and build confidence.
He praised Oman for hosting and sponsoring the consultations and supporting negotiations, and commended the efforts of UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all others that has played a part.
Regarding the political efforts to resolve the crisis, Alwasil said Saudi Arabia welcomed President Al-Alimi’s call for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all stakeholders to discuss just solutions to the situation in southern Yemen.
Preparations for the conference have begun, he added, in cooperation with the Yemeni government and southern representatives, reflecting the close ties between the two countries and their shared interests in stabilizing Yemen.
He urged all southern stakeholders to participate actively and constructively in the talks, to help find comprehensive and just solutions that meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern Yemen.
Alwasil called on all Yemeni forces and stakeholders to cooperate and intensify their efforts to reach a lasting political settlement that would ensure security and stability.
He described the southern issue as “a just cause with social and historic dimensions,” adding that “the only way to address it is through dialogue that leads to a comprehensive political solution” based on nationally and internationally agreed terms of reference.
