2023-07-15 00:14:56
Britain has extended an invitation to the Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for a visit that is expected to take place before the end of this year, with expectations that it will include agreements that may be in the interest of both parties, according to what was reported by the Guardian and Financial Times newspapers.
newspaper quotes”Financial TimesFriday, according to informed sources, that the visit is expected to take place in October or November, as the invitation was sent, but the exact preparations for it were not agreed upon, which was also confirmed by an official.
And in the event that the official visit of the Saudi crown prince to Britain takes place, it will be the first since the murder of the Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, regarding five years ago, in his country’s consulate in Istanbul.
The newspaper says that this visit will be “the latest sign that Western countries welcome the return of Prince Mohammed bin Salman to end the Khashoggi killing,” despite concerns regarding the human rights record in Saudi Arabia.
The last visit of the Saudi Crown Prince to Britain was in March 2018, that is, regarding six months before the killing of Khashoggi, which was accompanied by the participation of regarding 200 people in a protest demonstration in front of the headquarters of the British government to protest once morest the visit of Prince Muhammad bin Salman, due to the war that Riyadh is waging in Yemen at the time.
Riyadh or London.. Who needs the other? The visit is expected to take place before the end of 2023. Archive
A British government official did not specify the reasons or timing of the visit, and said: “It is up to them, given that we need them more than they need us.”
The newspaper identified a number of reasons that drive the strengthening of relations between Riyadh and London, foremost of which is Britain’s attempt to search for the promotion of investments, especially following its exit from the European Union, as its eyes are directed towards the Gulf states.
During the past two years, the UAE and Qatar pledged to invest 10 billion pounds in Britain through sovereign funds, while Bahrain recently announced an investment of one billion pounds in the United Kingdom.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund led an alliance to buy Newcastle United Football Club in 2021, while the Saudi sovereign wealth fund opened an office in London last year.
Britain is also seeking to conclude a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes: Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, as it has conducted several rounds of negotiations in this context.
And in the event that a free trade agreement is reached, this may mean an increase in exchanges by at least 16 percent, which means an increase in the revenues of the British economy by more than 1.6 billion pounds, according to a report published by the newspaper. Guardian.
The value of trade exchanges between the United Kingdom and the Gulf countries amounted to more than 30 billion pounds in 2020, according to the British government, which considers that “an expanded trade agreement will allow our relations to advance,” according to Agence France-Presse.
The Guardian report indicates that Saudi Arabia may have interests in completing this visit, foremost of which is Riyadh’s endeavor to win Britain’s vote, next November, to host Expo 2030, which Italy is competing for.
The year 2030 constitutes an important turning point for Saudi Arabia, in which the “Saudi Vision 2023” will be achieved, which depends on diversifying sources of income and the economy away from oil revenues.
Polly Truscott of Amnesty International criticized the expected visit and told the Guardian that Britain’s roll-out of the red carpet for the Saudi crown prince’s visit meant he might “use the visit to rehabilitate himself on the world stage”.
She added, “It seems that the organization of the visit comes at a time when it coincides with the murder of Khashoggi 5 years ago… in a crime that was mainly covered up by the Saudi authorities.”
And in 2018, it was criticized paper A research published by the Policy Institute of the Oxford Research Group called what it called “Saudi Arabia’s influence on Britain,” considering that London provides “diplomatic cover for Saudi Arabia,” which constitutes an undermining of the principles of liberalism at the international level.
She pointed out that Britain’s economic benefits from Saudi Arabia are limited and “doubtful,” while London incurs costs at the expense of its reputation as a result of its relations with Riyadh.
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