Prince William will make his first official visit to Saudi Arabia next month, Kensington Palace announced on Wednesday.
“At the request of His Majesty’s Government, the Prince of Wales will visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between Monday 9th and Wednesday 11th February,” the palace’s statement said.
“His Royal Highness’ visit comes as the UK and Saudi Arabia celebrate growing trade, energy and investment ties, and as the two nations approach a century of diplomatic relations.”
The last senior royal to make an official visit to Riyadh was his father, King Charles III, when he was Prince of Wales in February 2014.
The UK has previously raised concerns over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and in 2020 sanctioned 20 Saudi nationals involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who died at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh in December 2024.
The pair discussed a range of issues including growth opportunities between the countries, as well as “the steps taken by the Crown Prince’s government to improve human rights”, according to the UK government readout at the time.
Starmer’s centre-left Labour government has moved to further strengthen its relationship with Riyadh through recent visits by the finance and foreign ministers, as it prioritises boosting UK economic growth.
Saudi Arabia was Britain’s 24th largest trading partner in the latest annual period assessed, accounting for 0.9 percent of total UK trade, official government figures released last December showed.
Trade in goods and services between the two countries was £17.2 billion ($23.1 billion) in the year to June 30, 2025, an increase of 5.6 percent or £910 million in current prices year-on-year.
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