Behind the state banquet and smiles from Queen Elizabeth and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's visit to London this week caused a wave of dissent. The UK political elite boycotted events. Demonstrators lined the Mall. The UK foreign secretary pulled out of a meeting with his Saudi counterpart to be with his new adopted son. And just days before he arrived, the Saudi King accused British officials of ignoring information that could have averted the terror attacks in London on July 2005.Whether the politics of the event were a success is open to debate. But this was just part of the story. The Saudis were also in town to cement a strong trading and business relationship that has developed between the two Kingdoms over the last 20 years.
Saudi Arabia is the UK's largest trading partner in the Middle East. And behind the USA, the UK is the second largest foreign investor in the Kingdom.
UK Trade & Investment has designated Saudi Arabia one of its 17 "High Growth Markets" along with UAE and Qatar in the region. As the nation diversifies its economy away from oil, commercial opportunities for UK thrive in a variety of sectors.
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