JEDDAH, 27 October 2007 — Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom are expected to sign three agreements during a coming three-day state visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to Britain, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) announced yesterday.
King Abdullah begins his visit to the UK on Monday as part of a five-nation European tour, which will also take him to Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey. “King Abdullah arrives in London on Oct. 29 at the invitation of Her Majesty The Queen for a three-day state visit,” the FCO said.
This is Abdullah’s second European tour after ascending the throne in August 2005. During his first tour, the king visited Spain, France and Poland as well as Egypt and Jordan. He first visited Turkey in August 2006, becoming the first Saudi king to visit the country in 40 years.
According to the FCO statement, Queen Elizabeth will officially welcome King Abdullah on Oct. 30 at a short ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, before a traditional carriage ride along The Mall to Buckingham Palace.
On Wednesday, the king will hold talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Downing Street and attend a banquet at the Guildhall hosted by the lord mayor of London and City of London Corporation. He will also meet with the Prince of Wales.
The accords to be signed during the royal visit are: a double taxation agreement; a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for vocational education and training; and another MOU for cooperation in the field of sports.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has highlighted growing Saudi-British relations. Addressing a second conference on “The Two Kingdoms’ Friendship and Partnership” in Riyadh, Saud said the two countries were uniquely positioned to cooperate and play an effective role in dealing with major global issues.”
