The opening address from Deputy Prime Minister at the UK-Saudi Arabia GREAT
FUTURES event in Riyadh.
I'm delighted to be here for GREAT FUTURES. Back in the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and back with my good friend His Excellency
Minister Al-Qasabi.
We co-lead economic and social elements of our relationship. A
vehicle for action, delivery and change.
Our collaboration across the breadth of the relationship is
remarkable, exponentially increasing our mutual prosperity and
demonstrating that our modern, forward-looking partnership can
meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
Every time His Excellency and I come together we strengthen our
two kingdoms' historic relationship.
This time I have brought a few friends along with me.
A delegation of more than 450. The largest UK trade mission in a
decade and the largest ever from the UK to The Kingdom. With 70%
here for the first time.
GREAT FUTURES kicks off a year-long programme showcasing the UK's
best and brightest in the world's most exciting markets.
When I was asked where it should take place in 2024, I answered
immediately: Riyadh.
The pace of change in Saudi Arabia - economic, social, cultural -
is extraordinary.
As I said to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, when I had the
privilege to meet him last October, Britain doesn't just endorse
his Vision 2030 – we want to be a part of it.
Our talented lawyers, consultants, financiers, architects and
designers are the ones who can help make that vision a reality.
Indeed they're already doing so.
And we want to take that to the next level with GREAT FUTURES.
Turbocharging British businesses' presence in the Kingdom and
accelerating the vital business links that make our relationship
so valuable.
Technology will have a profound effect on the world as we know it
and through its giga-projects and megacities, Saudi Arabia is
paving the way on how societies can harness innovative
technologies to achieve incredible change.
Crucially, this partnership is a two-way street.
We're opening up our markets to one another, so that investment,
exports, tourism and collaboration flows in both directions.
From the new London Metal Exchange in Jeddah, to the 3 billion
dollars of investment in the North East of England.
From Strathclyde University in Riyadh….
To ten British Independent schools across the Kingdom by 2030.
Behind the scenes too, more connections are forming every day.
From the Education Taskforce, led by Sir Steve Smith and Minister
Al-Benyan.
To the investment Memorandum of Understanding - signed today.
But for me, as a former Culture Secretary, one of the most
exciting areas of collaboration is the cultural exchange.
I was honoured to show Minister Al-Qasabi around the British
Museum earlier this year and I can't wait to see the magnificence
of Al-Ula tomorrow.
In Britain we can sometimes take our culture for granted. We
inherit a history that has long been preserved and showcased.
But Saudi Arabia is having the incredible experience of showing
many of its wonders to the world for the first time.
And I am hugely excited about the potential for UK expertise to
play a part in that.
It's why I am so keen that the work we do here over the next 2
days catalyses enduring relationships that last for a generation.
And so I will be establishing taskforces across the sectors
represented here to take our work forward over the coming year.
The UK-Saudi relationship is the closest it's ever been.
Something of a giga-project in its own right. It's getting bigger
by the day.
With every visit taken.
With every agreement signed.
With every online visa issued.
With every connection made.
And with every ambition – from trade to tourism, culture to
telecoms, e-sports to energy – fulfilled.
We're two kingdoms, united in partnership, creating great futures
together.