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London all ready to welcome Muhammad

March 06, 2018
Billboards welcoming Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman are displayed on many London streets. — Courtesy Al Ekhbariya
Billboards welcoming Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman are displayed on many London streets. — Courtesy Al Ekhbariya

Saudi Gazette report

LONDON
— Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman will arrive in London on Wednesday on a landmark visit to Britain to further boost bilateral relations.

The British government attaches great importance to the visit due to the nature of the relations between the two countries.

During his visit, the Crown Prince will hold wide-ranging talks with top British officials including Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

They will review key bilateral and regional issues including Syria and Yemen, Iran’s role in the region, and the role of the international coalition against the Daesh terror group.

The Crown Prince will also meet Queen Elizabeth and have dinner with Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. Meetings are also planned with faith leaders in Britain including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England.

Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir was quoted by the UK’s Financial Times as saying that the trip was aimed at taking the Saudi-UK relationship to a “higher level”. He said both countries were seeking closer ties in sectors such as education and technology as well as security. “There will be agreements and memorandums of understanding signed in a number of areas,” he told the paper.

Initial agreements could be concluded on gas exploration, petrochemicals and industry, according to British and Saudi sources.

Jubeir also said the UK’s planned exit from the EU in 2019 would not impact Riyadh’s view of Britain as an investment destination.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in an article in The Times last week that the Crown Prince’s visit is of great importance to the future of the two countries, especially in the light of the comprehensive reforms carried out by the Saudi leadership at various levels through the Vision 2030.

An official reports by the British Foreign Ministry shows that Saudi Arabia is UK’s largest trading partner in the Middle East.

Exports of British goods to Saudi Arabia in 2014 reached 4 billion pounds ($5.25 billion) and 2.6 billion pounds ($8.5 billion) in 2016, it also indicates that the value of exports of British services in 2013 amounted to about five billion ($9.9 billion).

The British reports said that more than 25,000 British citizens live and work in Saudi Arabia, while the number of Saudi students studying in Britain is more than 15,000 students.

Around 70,000 British travel to Saudi Arabia each year to perform Haj and Umrah.


March 06, 2018
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