LONDON, Dec 08 (AFP): Britain's leader Keir Starmer makes his first trip to the Gulf as prime minister from Sunday, seeking to attract investment from the region's oil-rich states, Downing Street announced.
Starmer will first visit the United Arab Emirates and then travel to Saudi Arabia, before stopping off in Cyprus on his way back to London on Tuesday 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: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
"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 released Saturday.
The meetings will also aim to "deepen our research and development collaboration" and partner on projects in areas including defence and artificial intelligence, Starmer added.
The British leader will land in the UAE on Sunday evening, ahead of Monday morning talks with its president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Later Monday, Starmer will fly to Saudi Arabia to meet Riyadh's de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who last week hosted French President Emmanuel Macron.
A Downing Street press release called the UAE and Saudi "some of the UK's most vital modern-day partners".
The regional tour will end on Tuesday with Starmer meeting President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia, the first bilateral talks between the leaders of Britain and Cyprus in over five decades.
Starmer is also due to address British troops stationed in Cyprus.
Labour has staked its credibility on a promise to get Britain's sluggish economy firing again.
It says a GCC agreement could boost bilateral trade, currently accounting for £55 billion ($70 bn) of UK trade, by 16 per cent, "potentially adding an extra £8.6 billion a year in the long run".
It hopes a deal would see Gulf sovereign wealth funds invest in a range of sectors, including energy and infrastructure, while also opening up lucrative markets to British firms.
