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British Trade Commissioner: Saudi Arabia is the Largest Destination of UK Exports in the Region

Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan.
Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan.
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British Trade Commissioner: Saudi Arabia is the Largest Destination of UK Exports in the Region

Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan.
Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan.

Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan, said Saudi-British efforts were underway to increase and maximize partnerships and corporate business in various fields.

He noted that Riyadh represented the largest destination for UK exports, with an increase of 24 percent over the last three years, stressing that the two kingdoms enjoyed a strong long-term bilateral relationship, based on a number of pillars, including trade and investment.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Penney said opportunities abound in all the diverse sectors of the economy in Saudi Arabia.

He added that his team at the Department for International Trade was working closely with the Invest in Saudi Arabia initiative and the Ministry of Investment on many of the huge Saudi projects, with the aim to encourage British companies to invest in Saudi Arabia.

“Of course, investment goes both ways, and we are looking to thrive and increase business in the UK and Saudi Arabia,” Penney stated.

According to the British official, the partnership between the two kingdoms continues to grow on solid bases. Referring to trade statistics for the end of the first quarter of 2022, Penney said that Saudi Arabia was the largest destination for UK exports in the region, due to the significant growth in service exports from the UK, which has increased by 24 percent over the past three years.

Total trade in goods and services (export and import) between the UK and Saudi Arabia amounted to £11.3 billion in the four quarters to the end of the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 6.4 percent, or £683 million, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

On the United Kingdom’s readiness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in the medical and health care sector, Penney stressed that health care and life sciences were essential for both kingdoms, noting that cooperation in this field was an important part of the British bid for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Penney, who recently participated in the Global Health Forum in Riyadh, stressed his country’s readiness to provide, through British health care experts, advice and participation in many health care initiatives in Saudi Arabia, noting that after the Covid-19 pandemic, the opportunities for cooperation in these sectors increased significantly.

He said that the forum provided a great opportunity to invest in diagnostic technology and remote care, adding that the participating British delegation represented the best innovators in the field of digitization and healthcare transformation, and reflected the UK’s commitment to strengthening healthcare partnerships with Riyadh.

“We participated in the Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh with a high-level delegation from 26 British organizations, and we traveled to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The delegation included five institutions affiliated with the National Health Service, which together provide a range of important and specialized services, including primary care, mental health services, education and training, out-of-hospital services, and digital services,” Penney told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The British delegation to the forum was one of the largest trade missions from the United Kingdom in the field of health care and life sciences to Saudi Arabia, he revealed. It included the NHS Trust, in addition to MedTech, Genomics, Digital Health and Health Care Services, in partnership with Mott MacDonald and Health Care World.

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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.