Reeves to lead trade mission to Saudi Arabia amid human rights concerns | Rachel Reeves

Rachel Reeves will lead a delegation of senior business leaders to Saudi Arabia on Monday as Britain hopes to deepen its relationship with a state widely criticized for human rights abuses.

The first UK chancellor to visit the Gulf in six years, he is expected to meet senior Saudi royals, US administration representatives and global business figures.

The visit comes as Britain continues its efforts to secure a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The government hopes a deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council would add £1.6bn a year to the UK economy and add another £600m to annual wages for UK workers in the long term.

Reeves said: “Our number one priority is growth, so I’m taking the UK’s offer of stability, regulatory agility and world-class expertise directly to one of the world’s most important trade and investment centres, making it in our national interest.”

He added that once deals were struck with the US, EU and India, the government was determined to “go further and faster on partnerships that create good jobs, boost business and bring investment to communities across the UK”.

But such a deal is likely to come under renewed fire from campaigners who have previously said the UK should not reach a deal without legal commitments in areas such as improving human rights.

The Trades Union Congress is among those calling for caution over the deal and voicing concerns to ministers. The statement said: “Our view on trade agreements is consistent: The government should not enter into agreements with countries that violate human and labor rights and violate international law.”

Reeves is expected to complete a series of investments between the UK and Saudi Arabia this week as the government prepares for its second budget on November 26. Pressure is mounting on the chancellor to announce tax rises to plug a gap in the public finances that could be as much as £30bn.

He will speak at the Fortune Global Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday and the Future Investment Initiative, nicknamed Davos in the Desert, on Tuesday, where he will try to persuade global business leaders that the UK is a good destination for investment at a time of global uncertainty.

The chancellor will be joined by investment minister Jason Stockwood, as well as CS Venkatakrishnan, chief executive of Barclays; Sir Jonathan Symonds, chairman of GSK; Georges Elhedery, CEO of HSBC, and Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange.

Trade with the Gulf, the UK’s seventh-largest export market, is worth around £59bn a year, according to government estimates. The agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council is expected to increase trade by approximately 16%. Sovereign wealth funds from the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have been among the largest foreign investors in the UK; The Saudi Public Investment Fund bought a 15% stake in Heathrow airport last year.

Keir Starmer visited Saudi Arabia last year, saying the trip was necessary to fulfill his “number one mission” to grow the UK economy.

When Boris Johnson met the Saudi crown prince in 2022, Starmer accused him of “going hand in hand from dictator to dictator”. At the time, a spokesman for Starmer defended his trip, saying it was about “stimulating growth and building a network of partners around the world who will invest in the UK”.

Reeves is expected to acknowledge “separate areas and cultural differences,” according to officials.

Stockwood said: “By deepening our economic ties with the region alongside our ongoing trade talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council, we will open new doors for British exporters, attract high-value investment and accelerate growth in the UK.”