Riyadh: British Prime Minister Theresa May landed in Riyadh Wednesday for talks with the Saudi king and crown prince, with the kingdom’s sweeping reforms on the top of her agenda.
May flew in to the Saudi capital on the second leg of her Middle East tour, following a surprise visit to Baghdad where she met her Iraqi counterpart Haider Al Abadi and hailed recent military gains against Daesh terror group.
Her arrival in Riyadh was confirmed by the official Saudi Press Agency.
May is set to hold separate talks with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman during her one-day visit on issues including the Yemen crisis.
Saudi Arabia is Britain’s largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than £3.3 billion (Dh16.3 billion) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.
May is expected to express Britain’s support for Prince Mohammad’s ambitious reform drive, which include a historic decision allowing women to drive from next June.
May left London late Tuesday for a three-day visit to the Middle East in a bid to bolster regional ties.
The British leader will be in Jordan on Thursday on the final leg of her tour for meetings with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Hani Mulki.
