Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman to visit UK in autumn
Bin Salman poised for second visit to a Western capital since the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which the CIA concluded was ordered by him.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has been invited to visit the UK this autumn, according to a report by The Times.
The report said that Downing Street has invited the controversial crown prince to the UK as London is seeking “support” for an early trade deal with the Gulf Co-operation Council, where Saudi Arabia plays a central role.
Bin Salman’s visit to the UK would be his second visit to a Western capital since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which the CIA concluded was ordered by the crown prince.
The crown prince has tried to rebuild his relationship with close Saudi allies since the murder of Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Turkey, using its key role on the oil market as leverage.
In June, Bin Salman visited Paris where he met with French President Macron. In July last year, U.S. President Biden met with Bin Salman during his visit to Riyadh, which was interpreted as a big victory for the crown prince.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson also met with Bin Salman in Riyadh in March last year in an attempt to “stabilise oil prices” in the wake of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions on Russian oil.
Bin Salman’s visit to the UK is likely to draw harsh condemnations from rights groups which also criticised Macron for “normalising” the crown prince in the international community.
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