The Prime Minister Gordon Brown writing in al Riyadh newspaper, 2 November 2008 (30/11/2008)
The Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived in Riyadh on 1 November at the head of the most senior delegation of British businesspeople ever to leave Britain. He was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Business Lord Mandelson and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband. He was met at King Khalid International Airport by HRH Prince Saud al Faisal, Foreign Minister. Upon arrival, the Prime Minister and Prince Saud discussed the strength of bilateral relations between the Kingdoms as well as regional affairs and the global financial situation.
On 1 November, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and the Prime Minister Gordon Brown held talks in the King’s private palace in Riyadh. The talks focussed on the strong bilateral relations, regional issues and the global financial crisis. They discussed the Saudi interfaith dialogue initiative and the meeting that will be held in New York on 15 November. The Prime Minister and the King agreed to continue the dialogue between energy producing and consuming countries which was started at the Jeddah oil summit. In the meantime, the Secretary of State for Business Lord Mandelson, and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and the British Ambassador William Patey CMG held discussion with ministerial counterparts.
On 2 November, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited King Saud University. He was met by the President of the University, Dr Abdullah al Othman. During the visit the PM met male and female Saudi students, heard a presentation on the future plans for the university, saw an exhibition of the educational links with British universities and witnessed the signing between the Magdi Yacoub Institute and King Saud University of a Memorandum of Understanding.
The Prime Minister’s visit to King Saud University came at a time of growing educational links between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. This year 12,000 Saudi students will study in the UK on Saudi governmental scholarships. For more information on the work of the British Council in Saudi Arabia please visit their website:
