LONDON: Prince William’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia this week reflects deep British interest in the “expectation of an important future” with the Kingdom, a former ambassador told Arab News on Monday.
Ties between the two royal families are “almost 100 years old, and it’s the kind of relationship that runs at a sort of deeper and longer wavelength than the day-to-day politics,” said Simon Collis, ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2020.
“Prince William’s grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, visited Saudi Arabia and hosted several of the kings of Saudi Arabia on their state visits to the UK.
“King Charles, as prince of Wales, visited Saudi Arabia many times — over a dozen times — and actually his last visit came shortly after I arrived in Riyadh as ambassador.
“When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited London in 2018, he had lunch with the queen, the late queen, and dinner, and that was at Buckingham Palace. He had dinner at Clarence House with Charles as prince of Wales, and William was there at that dinner.”
Similarities between the two heirs apparent on a personal level could also spur deeper diplomatic ties, Collis said.
“They have a lot in common: environmental interests, green energy interests, a lot of the things that have expanded in Saudi Arabia over the last 10 years in particular … as the economic transformation has moved forward under Vision 2030,” he added.
“So, areas like the core (interests), which were always there — these issues like defense, security, and energy — but what has opened up as a result of the changes in Saudi Arabia much more are other areas like education, culture, healthcare, environmental issues, heritage, sports ... all of these kind of soft power issues.”
Since King Salman assumed the throne in 2015, more than a dozen UK prime ministers and foreign secretaries have come and gone, Collis said, highlighting the “continuity” that William’s royal status can bring to the bilateral relationship.
“Links between the royal families are something special, and the fact that the prince of Wales is now visiting at the request of the British government clearly sends a signal of the importance of the relationship with Saudi Arabia to the UK,” he added.
Through a little-known government body, the Royal Visits Committee, William will have been briefed on the nature of the British-Saudi relationship, and how he can use his royal leverage to develop ties with a “priority” partner, Collis said.
“All official visits by members of the British royal family involve advice from the government about the priorities.”
The RVC meets and brings together No. 10, the Foreign Office and other relevant government departments with the staff at Buckingham Palace and the other royal households.
“They review together the countries that have been visited recently, both inward and outward visits: What are the countries that are a priority for a visit? Prince William hasn’t made a lot of these visits yet … King Charles was taking the lead on that for a long time,” Collis said.
“It’s not surprising that Saudi Arabia was seen as a priority for an early visit by Prince William as prince of Wales,” he added.
“The decision to prioritize the Kingdom for a visit reflects the overall bilateral importance to each other, the regional significance of Saudi Arabia and its position as a global player, increasingly so as Vision 2030 moves forward and as the country opens up,” Collis said.
“Saudi Arabia is the most significant Arab country, the most significant regional country, but it’s also a global power; it’s one of what people call the middle powers.
“Its views — not just on regional issues but on the global agenda, climate change, security, all of these global issues — matter.”
The pace of change in Saudi Arabia is so fast that Western observers are still playing catch-up, Collis said.
The direction of travel between the two countries means that although differences in traditions may exist, “values have certainly become closer than they were historically,” he added.
“When I arrived here (in 2015), there were religious police still on the streets, music in public places was banned and women were under the guardianship system ... The Western headline was always ‘they can’t drive.’ Women couldn’t travel, they couldn’t get a job, they couldn’t even access healthcare without the approval of a male guardian.
“Under the leadership of King Salman and of the crown prince, all of that has changed; it’s been completely transformed.”
The individual and personal nature of the visit presents an opportunity to help the two peoples develop their mutual interests, Collis said, highlighting the popularity of the UK as a destination for Saudi university students.
“You (also) see that in the growing number of British companies entering Riyadh, putting their regional headquarters in Riyadh,” he added.
“You can see that movement happening in so many ways across so many sectors. I think this visit is an opportunity to recognize, celebrate and draw attention to all of that.”
