LONDON: Britain's leader Keir Starmer made his first trip to the Gulf as prime minister, seeking to attract investment from the region's oil-rich states, Downing Street announced. Starmer was set to visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, before stopping off in Cyprus on his way back to London in a bid "to build closer ties and drive long-term UK growth".
The trip to Abu Dhabi and Riyadh comes as his Labour government pursues a free-trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council's six nations. "There is huge untapped potential in this region, which is why, while here, I will be making the case to accelerate progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement," Starmer said in a statement. The meetings would aim to "deepen our research and development collaboration" and partner on projects in areas including defence and artificial intelligence, Starmer added. A Downing Street press release called the UAE and Saudi "some of the UK's most vital modern-day partners". — AFP
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