William will be hoping to leave behind the scandal surrounding his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor<\/a> and a slew of revelations from the Epstein files.<\/p>\n For now, there are other issues at stake<\/a>. For months, a series of British government officials have been landing at Riyadh airport, after Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s trip in 2024, as the UK government works to secure a free trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).<\/p>\n In October Rachel Reeves led a delegation to Saudi Arabia<\/a> and last week the business and trade minister Chris Bryant was there to help seal the deal.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia\u2019s minister for finance with Rachel Reeves during a visit last year<\/p>\n KIRSTY O\u2019CONNOR\/TREASURY<\/p>\n In an interview with a Saudi news channel last week, Bryant said: \u201cI\u2019m not the only person coming from the governments in the UK over the next few months here to Saudi Arabia. We\u2019ve had several ministers in the past few months and there will be more coming later this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking about the negotiations with the GCC, which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Bryant said: \u201cI wish I could tell you exactly where we\u2019re at. Before Christmas, I was thinking we were 95 per cent done. Maybe we\u2019re 97.5 per cent done.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, I\u2019ve got milk, you\u2019ve got eggs, somebody else has got flour. And if the three of us trade together, we can all make pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n These will be very lucrative pancakes if William can help push the deal to 100 per cent.<\/p>\n Last year there was \u00a316.6 billion of trade between Saudi Arabia and the UK, an increase of 3 per cent from the previous year. In a video shared with his social media followers last week, Bryant was seen telling Dr Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, his Saudi counterpart: \u201cAnd of course, you\u2019re big investors in the UK. You have hotels, you\u2019ve got Harrods<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n While British politicians appear to be developing relationships in Saudi Arabia, however, they lack any staying power guarantee. Cue, William. <\/p>\n An ancient tomb at al-Ula<\/p>\n ERIC LAFFORGUE\/ART IN ALL OF US\/CORBIS\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n He will arrive in the capital, Riyadh, and then go on to al-Ula, the ancient desert oasis and Unesco world heritage site. But there will be far more to do than sightseeing during his three-day visit.<\/p>\n A Kensington Palace source said: \u201cThis is a classic example of the soft power of the monarchy and this is him building a relationship with one of our most important bilateral partners in the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n More than just trade and oil, there is likely to be a focus from Saudi Arabia on what else the country has to offer. There will be discussions about Vision 2030<\/a>, the government programme which aims to diversify the kingdom\u2019s economy away from oil and instead make it a hub for tourism, technology and sporting events.<\/p>\n William is expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman<\/a>, known as \u201cMBS\u201d, the King\u2019s sixth son and the country\u2019s ruler, who has styled himself as a reformer.<\/p>\n Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman<\/p>\n BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI\/AFP\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n Amidst controversy over human rights abuses and the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist killed in a Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018<\/a>, Prince Mohammed has addressed some of his critics, saying the murder was a \u201chuge mistake\u201d and something which would never happen again. He has denied orchestrating the murder, for which several Saudis have been arrested.<\/p>\n The Saudi government is likely to want to show William how it is looking to the future as a country that will host the Fifa World Cup in 2034 and where women are now allowed to drive.<\/p>\n William\u2019s trip comes at a crucial time for UK relations with the Middle East powerhouse. Northeast across the Gulf lies Iran, and Yemen to the south, where Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies have begun a military offensive against a UAE-backed separatist group<\/a>.<\/p>\n From the UK, the importance of the royal connection between the British and Saudi royal families was seen when the crown prince visited Britain in 2018.<\/p>\n![\"Chancellor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\/9f7e7435-6556-47dd-af1d-451d96d5555a.jpg\")
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