In hard times, friends visit one another, take counsel and offer help.
A month ago, the British Foreign Secretary visited Saudi Arabia; ten days ago, the Minister of Defense visited and today the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer is here. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was here before the New Year. It is very rare that a week goes by without my residence hosting another Minister visiting to deepen our partnership.
They come out of friendship, of course. Saudi Arabia and the UK are old friends. Next year we will celebrate the hundredth anniversary of diplomatic relations. We are proud to have been one of the first states that recognized the state that would later become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The relationship between the two peoples is rich and developing quickly: 30,000 Brits call Saudi Arabia home, thousands of Saudis choose the UK for their university studies, and when I walk down the street in London in the summer, I consistently hear Saudi Arabic and know I am among friends. Saudis often say how comfortable they feel in London. We feel the same way here in the Kingdom.
The friendship between the two governments is also striking: when I arrived here last year as Ambassador, I saw old friends who I have worked with in different contexts for decades. The government relationship rests on a network of friendships between diplomats, soldiers, security and economic officials, as well as Ministers. We know each other well. Like all good friends, we feel comfortable talking candidly.
Of course, it is crowned by the friendship between the two royal families. King Charles has visited many times and the visit of the Prince of Wales in February renewed the relationship for another generation. I am sure that he will have been struck, as every visitor is, by the beauty of the landscapes and the extraordinary generosity of Saudi hospitality. But what I imagine will have stayed with him is a sense of deep familiarity, that his family and the Al Sauds have known one another for nearly a century.
But these visitors also come because we have shared interests. First, just as we have done for decades, we want your counsel. Just as Churchill benefited from King Abdulaziz’s wisdom, and Mrs. Thatcher from King Fahd’s so Sir Keir wants to understand how King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman see the situation. We have deep roots in this region and long experience but what expertise we have comes from listening to our friends.
We also see Saudi Arabia as a place of opportunities: a society charged with optimism, momentum and energy. We want to be part of your journey. As Saudi develops its museums and heritage, entertainment and tourism sectors, education, music and theatre, I see more and more British citizens with expertise and experience in these fields moving here; businesses seeking to work here and investors looking for opportunities.
The Saudi Cabinet has recently approved the opening of a branch of the University of Strathclyde in Riyadh, and the London Business School has also arrived here as well. At the Great Futures Summit in London last year, we agreed over £4.1 billion in deals, and at Future Investment Initiative in October, the Chancellor announced a £6.4 billion package of two-way trade. When the current crisis is over, we will be working hard to tie our two societies together even more closely.
We did not choose this war. But once our friends were attacked by Iran, Britain responded and continues to prove we step up when our friends need us the most. Since the start of the conflict, we’ve deployed 1,000 troops into the Middle East, defending UK interests and our partners. We continue to deepen our defense partnership with Saudi Arabia, one already built on decades of joint exercises, shared intelligence and the involvement of British military personnel who train and work alongside the Saudi Armed Forces.
We are grateful for the protection you have provided to British citizens who live here and want to play our part in defending your land. This is why our Typhoons and F-35 jets, together with Wildcat helicopters continuing defensive missions over the Gulf and Jordan and have deployed the Sky Sabre air defense system to Saudi.
We also responded diplomatically, of course. Our Foreign Minister, Yvette Cooper regularly speaks with Prince Faisal bin Farhan to find a swift resolution to this war and one that does not reward Iran for its flagrant aggression. We are pleased that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Waleed Elkhereiji attended a meeting convened and chaired by the Foreign Secretary to discuss joint action to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. Again, our diplomats know each other well. For decades, we have worked together, shoulder to shoulder, on regional crises.
We are friends. Two Kingdoms but, in hard times, one front.
