Starmer has economy as top priority on Saudi trip amid human rights concerns

Sir Keir Starmer is putting efforts to kickstart economic growth above human rights concerns as he meets Saudia Arabia’s crown prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Downing Street said the economy was Sir Keir’s “number one priority” but insisted he would still be able to raise concerns about the Saudi government’s human rights record.

Campaign group Reprieve called on Sir Keir to raise the issue of children facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, while the widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi urged the Prime Minister to question the crown prince about the case.

Sir Keir accused predecessor Boris Johnson of “going cap in hand from dictator to dictator” when the former prime minister met the Saudi crown prince in 2022.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Promoting economic growth is the Prime Minister’s number one priority, he has been very clear about that.

“You saw the Prime Minister’s plan for change last week, you can see the Government’s clear priorities for the British people as part of that.

“But no aspect of the relationships that we’re building internationally … stops us from raising issues around human rights and protecting our protecting our values globally.”

As part of the visit to Saudi Arabia, the Government has signed a deal to share expertise in culture, heritage and tourism.

Historic England is finalising a new partnership with the Saudi Heritage Commission while a deal has been agreed which will see the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) collaborate with the Royal Commission for AlUla to help boost tourism.

Graphene Innovation Manchester is to announce the launch of the world’s first commercial production of graphene-enriched carbon fibre on Monday.

The advanced material is considered environmentally sustainable, and will be used in Saudi Arabia’s Neom project, which is aiming to build a huge urban area.

Some £250 million of investment into a research and innovation hub in Greater Manchester and more than 1,000 skilled jobs could be created as a result of the deal.

Britain and the Saudis will work to set up an international institute for clean hydrogen, backed by a consortium of universities, including Newcastle University.

But Sir Keir faced pressure to raise human rights concerns directly with the crown prince.

Reprieve deputy executive director Dan Dolan said: “When Boris Johnson visited Mohammed bin Salman in 2022, three days after the mass execution of 81 people, Sir Keir Starmer was rightly scathing of Johnson’s unconditional embrace of one of the world’s most prolific executioners of protesters.

“Now he is the Prime Minister, he has the opportunity to address the escalating execution crisis in Saudi Arabia.

“If he publicly raises the cases of child defendants Abdullah al-Howaiti and Abdullah al-Derazi when he meets with the Crown Prince, he could save their lives.”

Mr Khashoggi’s widow Hanan Elatr Khashoggi told the Guardian that Sir Keir should demand answers about what happened to her husband, who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

“I hope my husband’s case has not been forgotten, and I will always maintain to make sure it is not forgotten,” she said. “There is unfinished business here. There has to be justice for Jamal Khashoggi.”

Sir Keir’s visit to Riyadh on Monday follows time in the United Arab Emirates where he met president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

The two discussed the “evolving situation in Syria” and the Prime Minister “welcomed His Highness’s reflections on how to achieve stability in the wider region against the broader geopolitical backdrop”, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

“Turning to the bilateral relationship, they agreed on the untapped potential in areas such as artificial intelligence, and a joint desire to build on existing co-operation in defence and security,” the spokeswoman said.

“They also discussed a shared ambition for greater investment and trade, building on the close personal ties between the British and Emirati people.”