A ministry communiqué confirms that The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office announced on September 7th that Minister for International Business and Trade Kevin Hollinsworth met with Saudi Arabian Envoy Ahmed bin Salman Al-Saud to discuss trade relations. The statement does not mention the specific details of the discussions, but confirms this meeting took place. This suggests a continued effort by the UK government to diversify its trading partnerships beyond traditional European markets.
Context
The announcement pertains to bilateral treaties subject to ratification/completion of procedures and not in force at the time of publication, as detailed in the Miscellaneous Series published in 2013. The statement does not address the nature of these trade relations or any specific agreements under consideration. It further notes that the Country Series contains bilateral treaties subject to ratification/completion of procedures and not in force at the time of publication.
What to Watch
Should the visit yield progress on establishing a formal trade agreement, the statement does not mention any specific timelines or milestones. The Ministry for International Business and Trade indicated in March that it was prioritizing securing new trade deals following Brexit, but this announcement offers no further detail about the Saudi Arabian relationship. If the UK government is to pursue increased trade with Saudi Arabia as suggested by this meeting, the statement does not address the potential impact of broader geopolitical developments on these negotiations.
