British Ambassador hails growing Saudi-UK ties since launch of Vision 2030

Neil Crompton, British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton highlighted the growth he has witnessed in Saudi-UK ties in the recent years, in his speech during a cultural soiree in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh.

“In the modern era, since Vision 2030, our relationship has gone from a quite traditional defense, security, contracting relationship, to take-off,” he was quoted as saying.

Further, the ambassador cited the growth of people-to-people relations between the two countries, pointing to British rowers and cricket players such as Kevin Pietersen who have visited the Kingdom, besides the many Saudis traveling to London for holidays.

He also said that he finds the camaraderie between the two countries “amazing”, noting, “With the visa system ... since we introduced the visa waiver system in June 2022, over 500,000 Saudis have used it to go to London, in addition to the 100,000 who already had a 10-year visa or another passport.”

The cultural soiree, hosted by the UK Embassy, celebrated the launch of “Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile” in Saudi Arabia by Saudi author and Editor-in-Chief of Arab News Faisal J. Abbas.

In a panel discussion between the ambassador and the author, the two underlined areas of cultural cooperation in an event titled “The Tale of Two Kingdoms.” During his remarks, Abbas said, “There is much more that unites us than what divides us.”

“Yes, we are two kingdoms separated by thousands and thousands of miles, we have a different history, but at the same time we are united by trivial things, from a sense of humor to very deeply rooted multifaceted bilateral relations that range from culture to business to defense and many more,” he explained.

The cultural soiree was attended by influential figures from the UK and Saudi Arabia, including Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation Prince Saud bin Mishal, alongside several prominent diplomats, journalists, academics and British citizens residing in Saudi Arabia.

For his part, Max Scott, the book’s publisher and Managing Director of Nomad Publishing, pinpointed the growing interest in Arab perspectives in the West, which are presented in his newest book, “Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile.”

The book was originally released in London last June. The cultural soiree, hosted by the UK ambassador, celebrated its recent release in Saudi Arabia, with its debut at the Riyadh International Book Fair. It is available exclusively at Jarir Bookstore outlets.