This is the text of a joint statement issued by the UK and Saudi Arabia on 9 March 2018, during a visit to Britain by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Strategic Partnership and support for Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030
1.1 The United Kingdom confirmed its strong support for Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s program for economic diversity and social reform. The Kingdom will transform into a pioneering investment power and a strategic partner for the Middle East, serving as a focal point for dialogue with the rest of the world. The skills and potential of the Kingdom’s human capital will also be improved, releasing the capabilities and possibilities of all citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Kingdom is committed to delivering expertise to support Saudi Arabia in these vital reforms. Saudi Arabia is confirming that the United Kingdom is a strategic partner in Vision 2030, acknowledging the advanced expertise and capabilities of the public, private, and non-profit sectors of the United Kingdom, in key sectors including: education, healthcare, culture, entertainment, financial services, technology, life sciences, innovation, energy, security, and defense.
1.2 The Crown Prince and the Prime Minister launched on the 7th of March 2018 the annual UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council as a key mechanism for discussing and developing all aspects of the bilateral relationship, including UK support for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030; on security, defense and international humanitarian assistance; and on regional and international issues. Both countries committed to a detailed plan to deliver this agenda with further meetings in 2018.
1.3 The UK and Saudi Arabia committed to a long-term partnership to support delivery of Vision 2030 covering a range of fields including evaluating mutual investment opportunities in and through the UK by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), bilateral trade, and public procurement with UK companies in Vision 2030 priority areas, including the following fields: education, training and skills; financial and investment services; culture and entertainment; healthcare services and life sciences; technology and renewable energy; and the defense industry. Taken together these opportunities are expected to amount up to $100bn over a ten-year period, from which PIF will aim to target direct investments amounting to $30bn.
Education, health, culture and entertainment
2.1 Saudi Arabia values the United Kingdom’s expertise in the various education sectors ranging from kindergarten, primary and secondary education to higher education and excellence in vocational training skills. It was thus agreed to cooperate in the fields of education to benefit from the British experience in supporting the development of education in the early stages. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the two countries that will enable the partnership to develop teaching methodologies and capacity building. The UK has appointed Sir Anthony Seldon as Special Education Envoy to support Vision 2030.
2.2 Saudi Arabia recognizes the extent of British experience in healthcare, and the two countries agreed to enhance cooperation in these areas through signed memorandums of understanding between the two countries in the areas of training, primary healthcare, health investment, digital health and other fields. The United Kingdom has appointed Sir Mike Richard as its Special Envoy for Healthcare to support Vision 2030.
2.3 The United Kingdom has expressed its interest in collaborating and working to share the great opportunities that have recently resulted from positive changes in culture and entertainment in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia affirmed its confidence in the pioneering role and experience of the UK in the creation, entertainment, culture and preservation of national heritage. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries in this field. A cultural cooperation agreement has also been signed, in which cooperation in the development and protection of cultural content is undertaken. The UK has committed to supporting investment in Saudi Arabia in cultural and entertainment projects.
2.4 The United Kingdom welcomed Saudi Arabia's targets for Vision 2030 to promote social development and strengthen the vitality of society, including empowering families and providing adequate education for all children. The United Kingdom also welcomed Saudi Arabia's aim to increase the participation of women and youth in the work force — in areas including science, technology, engineering, mathematics and digital sectors. The United Kingdom reaffirmed its support for recent reforms and declarations that empower women.
Trade, investment and the private sector
3.1 The United Kingdom recognized the substantial potential for Saudi Arabia as a global investment powerhouse and committed to work with Saudi Arabia to meet Saudi objectives on industrialization and human capital development. The Public Investment Fund recognized the United Kingdom as a highly attractive investment location and a gateway to the world, with London as a global city unrivalled in its international reach. The Public Investment Fund agreed to work closely with the British side to identify mutually beneficial inward investment opportunities in the United Kingdom and beyond, consistent with Saudi Vision 2030 and the United Kingdom’s own investment priorities. The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia further agreed to establish co-chaired Private Sector Groups to support the expansion of the key sectors identified in Vision 2030, including on privatization and corporatization, asset management, real estate, life sciences and technology.
3.2 The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia recognized the importance of a successful listing of Saudi Aramco as part of the Kingdom’s economic reform agenda. The United Kingdom underlined its support for the development of Saudi Arabia’s financial services industry and Saudi Arabia praised the United Kingdom’s support for plans to increase the size, depth and development of the Kingdom’s capital markets, affording the Saudi stock exchange, Tadawul, the international status it deserved. Saudi Arabia endorsed the status of London as the premier global financial center, providing unparalleled access to the global investors and expertise in financial and related professional services. The London Stock Exchange Group agreed with Tadawul on a program of capacity-building and training measures to assist in developing the exchange.
3.3 The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia launched the first Ministerial United Kingdom-Saudi Arabia Energy and Industry Dialogue. A Memorandum of Understanding on clean energy was signed, with Saudi Arabia recognizing the United Kingdom’s experience and expertise in clean growth. The United Kingdom expressed strong interest in Saudi Arabia’s giga-project NEOM, and Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom agreed to work together to identify ways to use British expertise and innovation, including from the private sector, to develop NEOM and build in-country skills, capacity and expertise in Saudi Arabia. The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia agreed to share British expertise on growth hubs and business accelerators, with Saudi Arabia recognizing the investment potential and opportunities from entrepreneurs and innovators in both countries, as well as the opportunities offered by investment in Saudi Arabia.
3.4 The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia welcomed the significant number of major new commercial deals that were agreed during the visit expected to total over $2 billion, creating and securing jobs and prosperity both in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.
Security and defense
4.1 The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia reiterated the importance of the defense and security relationship for mutual security and regional stability. They celebrated a defense partnership of over half a century of cooperation on issues such as countering terrorism, developing joint capabilities and strengthening regional security. Both countries stressed the importance of continuous strong collaboration in defending their national security and fighting terrorism and its funding as well as on areas of defense. They affirmed that this cooperation was decisive in saving lives in the two countries, as well as in other areas of the world, and they pledged to deepen their cooperation and broaden their partnership in facing new challenges. This would include strategic cooperation in areas of cyber security, where a framework agreement on strategic cooperation in cyber security between the two countries was signed.
4.2 The two countries expressed their resolve to intensify their efforts to combat terrorism and extremism until its roots were eradicated and its funding exhausted, especially by exchanging information and understanding the different methods that extremists and terrorists use to influence vulnerable people, and working together to protect people from negative terrorist campaigns that terrorists use to spread extremism and conduct recruitment online. The United Kingdom expressed its support for Saudi Arabia’s efforts and leadership in promoting tolerance and inter-faith dialogue, including the development of initiatives related to fighting extremism, including the establishment of “Etidal”, which represents a global center of excellence for countering extremist narrative. The two nations committed to sharing best practices and identify opportunities for joint projects to counter terrorist propaganda, including in the English language.
4.3 The United Kingdom have expressed their appreciation for the efforts of Saudi Arabia in countering terrorism and terrorist financing by announcing the establishment of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition with Riyadh as a center consisting of 41 Islamic countries. The United Kingdom also expressed pleasure to be the first supporting country signing an agreement of collaboration with the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition in its initiative to combat threats from terrorism and violent extremism in four working sectors: Media, Counter-terrorism, Military and Ideology. The United Kingdom also welcomed the establishment of the International Centre for Targeting Terrorism Funding in Riyadh.
4.4 The two nations have signed a number of MoUs to deepen and broaden cooperation between them and enhance the Kingdom’s industrial defense capabilities, noting that this was being achieved through technology transfer and capability development, training, and building a partnership in research and development on a national and industrial level, and providing technical advisory to the development program of the Ministry of Defense in Saudi Arabia. As a central part of this, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom signed a letter of intent to finalize discussions for the purchase of 48 Typhoon aircrafts.
4.5 The two countries agreed to increase cooperation on aviation security. The United Kingdom expressed its appreciation of Saudi Arabia’s partnership in aviation security and in countering the continuing terrorist threat, fulfilling commitments under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2309. The United Kingdom underlined the importance of the recently signed Department for General Authority of Civil Aviation Priority Action Plan to work together to further develop aviation security standards.
International issues
5.1 The two countries agreed to continue to co-operate closely on international security, national development, and humanitarian issues. The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia signed cooperation agreements to enable the strengthening of responses to regional and global humanitarian and development challenges. As part of this partnership, the two sides pledged £100 million of joint funding to support livelihoods and economic prosperity in the Horn of Africa and East Africa.
5.2 The two countries stressed the importance of Iran’s adherence to the principles of good neighboring behaviors, and not interfering in the internal affairs of countries in accordance with international norms and the United Nations Charter.
5.3 The two countries discussed Yemen:
- The two countries confirmed the importance of reaching a political solution to the crisis in Yemen on the basis of the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcome of the Yemen National Dialogue and UN Security Council Resolution 2216, so as to ensure Yemen’s security and territorial integrity. They expressed their strong support for the recently appointed UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths. The two nations agreed to stay in regular contact, and conduct intensive discussions around this.
- The two countries agreed that any political settlement must result in an end to security threats to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, other regional states, and to Red Sea shipping, as well as see an end to the Iranian support for militias and a withdrawal of Iranian elements and Hezbollah from Yemen.
- The two countries agreed to continue to work together to address the humanitarian crisis, building on Saudi Arabia’s efforts, including Saudi Arabia’s recently announced Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations plan. Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its commitment to disburse its pledge to the UN Appeal. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment since November to work together to strengthen the inspection mechanism of the UNVIM to ensure that all Yemeni ports can remain fully open to commercial and humanitarian supplies, according to relevant United Nations’ resolutions. They agreed on the importance of the international community to pressure the Houthi militias to allow unimpeded humanitarian access in areas they control, whilst taking all appropriate measures to implement the arms embargo pursuant to paragraph 14 of UNSCR 2216 (2015). They agreed to work together with international partners including the UN to agree on a mechanism for paying public sector salaries across the country.
The United Kingdom welcomed Saudi Arabia’s recent establishment of an office for Yemen reconstruction in Riyadh to develop reconstruction plans to be implemented following a political settlement. The United Kingdom sees this as an important expression of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the long-term development of all of Yemen.
- The United Kingdom welcomed Saudi Arabia’s continuing commitment to ensuring that the Coalition’s military campaign is conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law.
On other Middle East issues
- Middle East Peace Process: the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution, based on the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant United Nations’ resolutions.
- Iraq: The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia congratulated the Iraqi government on their progress and success against Daesh (so-called IS). The UK strongly supports the improvement in relations between Saudi Arabia and the Government of Iraq, including the reopening of border crossings and trade routes, the resumption of direct flights and its support to rebuild Iraq.
- Syria: The two countries reiterated their support for the UN-led Geneva Process and for a political solution based on Geneva I declaration and UN Security Council resolution 2254. They agreed on the need to implement urgently a ceasefire, as called for by UN Security Council Resolution 2401, in order to allow the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid and medical evacuations.
- Lebanon: The two countries agreed to work together to support the Lebanese Government and to work together to counter Hezbollah’s destabilizing role.
- Libya: The two countries expressed strong support for the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy to establish peace in Libya.
5.5 The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to enhanced cooperation between the UK and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); and the implementation of the joint communiqué agreed between the UK and GCC States in December 2016.
Source: SPA via Saudi Gazette
