May begins Saudi Arabia visit seeking trade deals
Economic issues will be the priority, says British premier
RIYADH // British prime minister Theresa May arrived in Saudi Arabia yesterday hoping to tap into the kingdom’s “immense potential” as she looks to secure post- Brexit investment and trade.
Mrs May arrived in the Saudi capital from Jordan.
Facing criticism at home and calls to raise human rights issues with Saudi leaders, Mrs May insisted she had no problem talking about “hard issues” on foreign visits.
But less than a week after Britain officially started a two-year countdown for leaving the European Union, Mrs May said that economic issues were the priority.
She began a three-day Middle East tour yesterday in Amman, where she called for cooperation between British forces and Jordan’s military in the fight against ISIL.
Both countries are part of the US-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes and supporting local forces against ISIL in Syria and Iraq since mid-2014.
Mrs May is expected to have two days of talks with senior of- ficials including King Salman and the country’s powerful crown princes.
Ahead of the visit, Mrs May said she would be looking to use the “immense potential for Saudi investment to provide a boost to the British economy”.
Britain is looking to strike new trade deals as it prepares to leave the EU, with a major focus on longtime partners such as the Arab Gulf states.
Qatar announced plans last month to invest £ 5 billion ( Dh22.8bn) in Britain within five years.
Saudi Arabia is Britain’s largest trading partner in the Middle East, with exports of more than £6.5bn in British goods and services to the country in 2015.
Saudi Arabia is also looking at boosting its foreign investments as part of a long- term plan known as “Vision 2030” to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues. Mrs May came under fire ahead of the visit, with opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn calling on Britain to halt arms sales to Riyadh and to push for a ceasefire in Yemen.