The Foreign Secretary will today (29th April) attend the World
Economic Forum (WEF) and hold high level talks with partners in
the Middle East on regional stability, security, and prosperity.
The UK is a dynamic, ambitious, and globally connected economy,
and the FCDO is to working to further highlight the
attractiveness of the UK as an investment destination. We
encourage over 1,000 international investment projects to the UK
each year, and the Foreign Secretary will use his talks at the
WEF to encourage more inward investment to the UK.
This is the first time Riyadh has hosted the WEF, marking an
important step in Saudi Arabia's progress as it builds towards
Vision 2030, the country's plan to diversify their economy away
from a dependency on oil. The Foreign Secretary's trip comes
ahead of a number of key meetings with Saudi Arabia, with the
annual aid dialogue set to go ahead in May and the GREAT Futures
expected to be launched in Riyadh later in May that will
highlight UK expertise and capability in sectors that support
Vision 2030.
A key topic of talks will be the conflict in Gaza. The UK is
working with regional leaders to use their collective influence
to secure an immediate humanitarian pause to get more aid in and
hostages out, then progress towards a permanent and sustainable
ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of
life.
The Foreign Secretary, , said:
It is a vital time to push for UK security and prosperity. We
will be backing important trade and investment projects that will
create British jobs while discussing important security issues,
including Israel and Gaza.
The UK and Saudi Arabia share close ties that mean we can work
together to tackle the biggest issues facing the Middle East and
the rest of the world.
Achieving an immediate pause in Gaza, releasing hostages and
ensuring aid reaches those who need it most remains a top
priority and we will continue to work with key partners in the
region to that end.
This is David Cameron's eleventh visit to the Middle East since
becoming Foreign Secretary. FCDO Minister of State Lord Ahmad
will attend the WEF alongside the Foreign Secretary.
The World Economic Forum comes at a critical moment for the
Middle East, bringing together over 700 leaders to discuss key
regional and global issues, from conflict resolution to
sustainable development and energy security.
The Foreign Secretary will attend a session on rejuvenating
growth at the event, which will work on preventing the emergence
of a fractured global economy and long-term plans for developing
countries' future growth, access to development finance and
energy.
