A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Better late than never, as they say, and it is indeed positive to see the relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia finally heading in the right direction.

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Saudi Arabia welcomed the largest business, trade, culture and sport delegation sent by the UK to any country in the world in the past decade, and the largest ever to the Kingdom. There were 450 representatives from internationally known businesses such as British Airways and HSBC, and even the England football legend Rio Ferdinand.

I say better late than never because the UK had an opportunity for involvement eight years ago when Saudi Arabia launched the Vision 2030 reform program — but Britain blinked.

It is understandable that many countries, particularly in the West, were skeptical in the early days of the reforms: although for many, that skepticism has now turned into genuine fear of missing out on the opportunities as Saudi Arabia opens up, diversifies away from oil and taps into new sectors and industries. What is not understandable is that it has taken the UK this long at a time when it desperately needed its closest friends and trading partners in the aftermath of Brexit.

But that was then and this is now. As Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden put it at this week’s conference in Riyadh: “Britain doesn’t just endorse Vision 2030, we want to be a part of it.” Dowden told Arab News that Britain’s aim was to increase the value of annual trade with Saudi Arabia from the current £17 billion ($21.5 billion) to £30 billion by 2030.

A key aim of this week’s conference … was to show that the relationship is indeed multifaceted, mutually beneficial, and goes beyond the mere transactional to vested interests in supporting each other’s reforms and economic plans

Faisal J. Abbas

It is important to put this in context for those who are unaware of how the two kingdoms might have traded places in recent years. The immediate assumption by many is that Saudi Arabia has always had a lot of money, and that this week’s event was nothing more than a charm offensive to persuade Riyadh not to spend it elsewhere.

That is inaccurate, for several reasons. One is that a key aim of this week’s conference, along with separate efforts by key Saudi officials, was to show that the relationship is indeed multifaceted, mutually beneficial, and goes beyond the mere transactional to vested interests in supporting each other’s reforms and economic plans.

For instance, only a few years ago Saudi Arabia might have had to rely on the UK for everything from defense to automobiles, and from industry to education. Today, while some of those needs remain, the Kingdom is now localizing much of its defense needs, manufactures its own cars and welcomes universities from overseas — including Strathclyde University in Glasgow, which will be the first from Britain to open a campus on Saudi soil.

The UK itself is not what it used to be. It has lost or sold off many of its iconic brands and much of its manufacturing capability, and its appeal to overseas investors has waned because of the political uncertainty of recent years. The UK has solid institutions and I have no doubt that it will bounce back, but it needs friends. And in Saudi Arabia, not only will it find a friend in need, but a friend that could give it an edge … indeed!

The two kingdoms have enjoyed great friendship and a positive past. Unlike many countries in the region, Saudi Arabia was never a British colony, and the relationship between the two royal families has always been cordial, built on deep mutual respect and appreciation.

Just look at some of the partnerships launched this week, such as the £3 billion worth of new Saudi investment in the northeast of England. Will this make a difference? Well, try asking fans of Newcastle United, the football powerhouse of England’s northeast that was languishing near the bottom of the Premier League and constantly facing relegation — until Saudi ownership propelled the club up into the elite of the European Champions League.

Just as Saudi Arabia has protected Vision 2030 by implementing proper governance and aligning all government tools and assets to achieve it, Britain must protect and safeguard the accomplishments of this week’s event in Riyadh

Faisal J. Abbas

Trading aside, Britain can also benefit from the Saudi experience in reforming, repositioning and reinventing itself. Just look at the transformation in just eight years: Saudi Arabia went from not even issuing tourist visas to receiving more than 100 million visitors, exceeding the target set for 2030; female participation in the workplace rose from 19 percent in 2016 to nearly 36 percent in 2022, again meeting the 2030 aim ahead of schedule; and a survey by market researchers Ipsos suggested that Saudis were the second-happiest people on the planet last year. Is the situation ideal in Saudi Arabia? Far from it, but there are constant pulse checks and reassessments of targets and key performance indicators. But what we do enjoy in the Kingdom, and is perhaps lacking in Britain, is the comfort and confidence of knowing the direction in which we are heading.

What does the UK need now? Well, just as Saudi Arabia has protected Vision 2030 by implementing proper governance and aligning all government tools and assets to achieve it, Britain must protect and safeguard the accomplishments of this week’s event in Riyadh against those who want to play political football with the relationship. This means a bipartisan consensus on the importance and mutual benefits of this relationship, while of course and at all times allowing for differences of opinion and disagreements on some issues.

This consensus is important for Saudi Arabia — but not crucial, since it is not short of options for trading partners. But it is a lot more important for post-Brexit Britain, which the same Ipsos market research company named this year as the second-most miserable nation in the world — with the economic recession, cost of living crisis and collapse in trust in political leadership given as the main reasons.

So, here’s to great futures, to Vision 2030 successes and to the ambition of making Britain great again!

• Faisal J. Abbas is the editor in chief of Arab News and the author of Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile, which comes out in London this June 2024

X: @FaisalJAbbas