A two-day Saudi-British conference will be held in London from Tuesday to discuss ways of strengthening mutual cooperation in politics, economy and commerce.
Titled "Two Kingdoms: The Challenges Ahead," the conference will be attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and his British counterpart Jack Straw.
"The conference will discuss economic and commercial relations between the two countries and explore prospects of establishing new investment projects," an informed source said.
The conference will cover topics ranging from future employment and training prospects to economic and resource affairs, the source said.
According to Al-Riyadh Arabic daily, Prince Saud Al-Faisal will also hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He will also visit Oxford University.
The Saudi delegation will include Commerce and Industry Minister Dr. Hashem Yamani, Minister of State Abdullah Alireza and Amr Al-Dabbagh, Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA).
Other important Saudi participants are: Jemaz Al-Suhaimy, Head of the Capital Market Authority; Dr. Hamad Al-Jasser, Deputy Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency; Dr. Ali Al-Ghafees, Governor of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training, and Fareed Zaidan, Governor of Electricity Services Authority.
Saudi Arabia and Britain have a long-standing trading and economic relationship. Riyadh remains the UK's leading trading partner in the Middle East.
Worldwide, Saudi Arabia ranks 25th amongst the 60 largest importers from the UK, according to the UK's National Office of Statistics data for the year 2002. The value of trade between the two countries for the three quarters of 2003 reached $3.04 billion compared to $3.18 billion in 2002.
The United Kingdom is among the 10th largest exporters to the Saudi market. In 2002, Saudi Arabia ranked number 25, among the top 50 export markets for the UK.
