The strong investment growth in Saudi Arabia’s economy has led 50 British companies to set up regional headquarters, joining over 1,300 UK firms already operating in the Kingdom, said a senior UK trade official.

The UK is positioning itself as a long-term partner in the Kingdom’s economic transformation, with bilateral trade already surpassing £17 billion ($22.55 billion) and expected to grow further in line with Vision 2030.

“The UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have enjoyed a warm and deep trading relationship for a long time,” said Peter Ashby, deputy UK trade commissioner for the Middle East, in an interview with Al-Eqtisadiah.

“So, we are starting from strong foundation and a place of friendship and mutual respect,” added Ashby, who is also the director of trade and investment at the British Embassy in Riyadh.

Both governments, he said, “are working extremely hard to strengthen our trading relationships and to create quality jobs in new sectors under Vision 2030 and the UK’s upcoming Industrial Strategy.”

Ashby said the UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council — led by Saudi Commerce Mnister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds — has been central to advancing bilateral initiatives across economic and social pillars.

A flagship effort under that framework is the ‘Great Futures’ campaign, which Ashby described as a “joint initiative to promote trade, tourism, innovation and cultural partnerships.” It has supported deals in priority sectors such as critical minerals and AI-enabled technology.

“The campaign continues, with GREAT FUTURES supporting business engagement in the UK and Saudi Arabia, including bespoke events such as the UK-Saudi Skills Forum at the upcoming HCI (Human Capability Initiative) and EDGEx Education Global Exhibition.

Source: Arabnews