Saudi crown prince receives UK prime minister amid Gulf tour

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the capital Riyadh on Monday at the start of his official visit to Saudi Arabia, the state news agency SPA reported.

Starmer arrived in the oil-rich kingdom as part of a regional tour that also took him to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In the UAE, the British premier held talks with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral ties as well as regional developments, including the situation in Syria.

During their meeting, Starmer and bin Zayed emphasized the "long-standing and wide-ranging" partnership between the two countries.

According to a statement by Starmer's office, both leaders shared their perspectives on the evolving situation in Syria.

British media said that the prime minister's Gulf tour aimed to drum up investments in Britain.

The UK prime minister will try "to persuade the Saudi crown prince to pump more cash into the UK economy after the Budget dealt a blow to his growth plan," British daily The Telegraph said.