RIYADH, 17 April 2006 — Prince Saud Al-Faisal, minister of foreign affairs, and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will jointly open a Saudi-British conference, entitled “Two Kingdoms Dialogue” here on Wednesday. The conference will bring together Saudi and British government officials, diplomats, social activists, leading businessmen and academics.
“Straw will lead a 60-member delegation to the conference,” said Barrie Peach, a spokesman for the British Embassy here yesterday, confirming the arrival of Straw later this week.
During his stay in the Kingdom, the British foreign secretary will hold talks with senior Saudi officials including Prince Saud.
The talks between Prince Saud and Straw, to be held on the sidelines of the conference, will focus on bilateral relations and a range of key regional issues. The conference and the talks should further strengthen the links between Riyadh and London.
The Kingdom is the UK’s largest trading and investment partner in the Middle East; two-way trade exceeds SR30 billion annually. Saudi Arabia is also the UK’s most important market outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
