LONDON: Rishi Sunak and Mohammed bin Salman spoke on Thursday and pledged to meet soon, Downing Street said, after reports that the Saudi leader had been invited to visit Britain.
The Times said the controversial crown prince was set to make his first trip to the UK since the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The Gulf state’s leader was accused of ordering the assassination of the Washington Post columnist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He denies involvement.
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Western nations have been courting oil-rich Saudi Arabia, particularly in the wake of instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In November, Sunak met the prince, who is known by his initials MBS, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali to discuss volatile energy markets.
Saudi Arabia earlier this month hosted talks on the Ukraine war in Jeddah.
Downing Street said in the pair’s call, Sunak “looked forward to personally deepening the long-standing ties between the UK and Saudi Arabia”.
“The prime minister and crown prince… looked forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity,” a statement read.
The Times reported that a visit was pencilled in for the coming months but there was no immediate confirmation from Sunak’s office when contacted by AFP.
Saudi Arabia is frequently criticised for its human rights record, particularly on capital punishment, but is trying to soften its image under a sweeping agenda of social and economic reform, dubbed “Vision 2030”.
That includes using sport, with a Saudi sovereign wealth fund now owning a majority stake in English Premier League side Newcastle United.
Sunak’s office said the pair discussed how to develop trade and investment ties, as well as those in defence and security, with the UK reiterating its commitment to domestic Saudi and regional security.
Most of the UK’s defence exports (51 percent) go to the Middle East, a parliamentary briefing note stated in January.
The UK temporarily paused granting new arms export licences to Saudi Arabia between June 2019 and July 2020 for goods that might be used in the conflict in Yemen.
In 2021, 275 licences were granted for strategic goods to Saudi Arabia, with a total value of £267 million.
“The prime minister (Sunak) welcomed progress on the conflict in Yemen, where the UK will continue to back efforts to extend the ceasefire and alleviate the humanitarian crisis,” Downing Street said.
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