The UK’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who is responsible for maintaining security in London, managing the counterterrorism police in the UK, and providing preventative security to diplomats and senior figures, has met with ambassadors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
During the meeting, Rowley and the ambassadors emphasized the strong and long-standing cooperation between the GCC states and the UK in the areas of security, law enforcement and counterterrorism.
They welcomed the opportunity to broaden and deepen these relations through open, constructive, and friendly discussions.
The discussions with Rowley took place to build on last year’s meeting with the former British Home Secretary.
The ambassadors noted the importance of tourism coming from GCC countries to the UK, as more than one million tourists visit Britain on average annually.
They expressed their appreciation for the UK adding GCC countries to its e-visa waiver program.
Furthermore, the ambassadors welcomed the Met Police’s proactive work to crack down on criminals targeting visitors to London. It is doing so by increasing presence on the streets, as well as combating online fraud and crime.
The two sides also discussed Gulf-British cooperation on several issues including combating terrorism and organized crime.
Rowley and the ambassadors welcomed the opportunity for increased dialogue and regular meetings between embassies and the Met Police to consider potential issues and areas of interest or concerns.
“My colleagues and I appreciate the opportunity to meet with the Commissioner of the Met Police, to congratulate him on his appointment, and to discuss areas in which we can further develop cooperation with our friends in the UK,” said Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s ambassador to the UK.
“We have welcomed Commissioner Rowley’s proactive approach to ensuring the safety of visitors from GCC countries to London, and we look forward to continuing fruitful engagement between our embassies and the Met Police,” added the Bahraini diplomat.
For his part, Saudi Ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Bin Sultan stressed that the meeting with Rowley did not only discuss the safety of millions of citizens in the UK. It also reviewed the safety and comfort of GCC tourists visiting the UK.
“We had a wide-ranging and detailed discussion reflecting the excellent relations between our two countries, and we look forward to having more constructive meetings,” said Prince Khalid.
