Relations between Saudi Arabia and the UK have witnessed a qualitative leap in cooperation in climate and clean energy. The trade exchange between them has reached £16 billion and new partnerships worth more than £1.2 billion have been launched in clean energy alone.
UK Special Representative for Climate Rachel Kyte stressed that London and Riyadh have come a long way in bolstering the strategic partnership in environment and climate technologies.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, she said: “The UK Government made a commitment to climate leadership when it was elected last summer, and we are working to broaden and deepen our partnership with a number of countries on clean energy and tackling climate change.”
“The UK sees Saudi Arabia as an obvious partner in these efforts, given the Kingdom’s deep investment in clean energy solutions and in building resilience both here in Saudi Arabia and across the world,” she stated.
“The opportunities for clean growth between our two countries are immense. UK businesses are already aware of the potential in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi investors are taking advantage of the UK’s net zero economy, which is growing three times faster than the wider economy,” she went on to say.
“In terms of investment, the numbers speak for themselves. In 2024, bilateral trade topped £16 billion, and during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit last December, new clean energy partnerships worth over £1.2 billion were announced,” she added.
Moreover, Kyte said that a “key area of partnership for the UK and Saudi Arabia is the clean cooking agreement we signed back in February. The visit has allowed the UK to explore how Saudi Arabia is rolling out its clean cooking projects, how these efforts align with broader international climate finance goals and to deepen our dialogue on these issues.”
She highlighted Saudi Arabia’s Forward 7 initiative, which she said has the potential to be transformative in closing the clean cooking gap and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 by 2030, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Additionally, the UK signed a £3.5 million co-financing agreement with the Islamic Development Bank to improve access to clean energy, boost agricultural productivity, and promote green technologies in Jordan and Yemen, continued Kyte. These are countries facing unique challenges - Jordan as a major refugee host, and Yemen as one of the most fragile states globally.
Furthermore, she said Saudi Arabia’s commitment to invest 2.5% of GDP in research and development by 2040 “opens up exciting avenues for UK universities and companies to collaborate on climate innovation. Together, we’re turning shared priorities into real-world impact, supporting communities, advancing technology, and accelerating progress toward our climate goals.”
“Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, with far-reaching environmental, social, and economic consequences. From rising temperatures and extreme weather to biodiversity loss and water insecurity, communities everywhere are feeling the impact. No country is immune,” she stressed.
“One of the most immediate threats is extreme heat, an issue I care deeply about. Recent summers have shattered temperature records across Europe, the US, India, and the Middle East. In Europe alone, heat is now the leading cause of climate-related deaths – an estimated 175,000 lives lost annually. These events underscore the urgency of action and the need to protect vulnerable populations,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Despite the challenges, Kyte said the world is moving on the solutions to this crisis, through action on clean energy and resilience, because countries can see it is in their national interest. Rapid cost falls are driving clean energy deployment globally – as others embrace it as a route to energy security, good jobs and growth. “This is the investment story of the century, with $2 trillion invested in clean energy last year.”
“Thanks to these shifts and the power of multilateralism, we are making progress on climate action. We need to go further and faster, but we must not overlook the progress we’ve made,” Kyte said.
