Stability in the Middle East vital to delivery at home, Prime Minister says

The stability of the Middle East is paramount to delivering a foundation of security at home, the Prime Minister has said during a visit to the Gulf today.

It comes as the Prime Minister pledges to step up the UK's engagement in the Middle East, to support the long-term stability of the vitally important region, both now and in the future.

Meeting leaders in the Middle East today, the Prime Minister said the UK will play a more present and consistent role in the region, and work with partners to increase defence cooperation to strengthen deterrence of threats across land, sea, space, air and cyber.

And following the unprecedented events in Syria, the UK is providing an additional £11 million of humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable in the country.

This will help the UN and NGOs meet the needs of the most vulnerable across the country, including the more than 370,000 people estimated to have been displaced by recent events.

It follows the Prime Minister agreeing a step change in defence partnership with Saudi Arabia today, to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and pave the way for greater defence industrial cooperation.

This covers all aspects of the UK-Saudi defence relationship, including on combat air, and provides a framework for closer collaboration for generations to come.

The Royal Saudi Air Force has operated UK- manufactured Typhoon combat aircraft since 2008, following a deal signed in 2006 with BAE Systems.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

From cutting the cost of living for hardworking British people, to building resilient supply chains or supporting communities in Britain, what happens in the Middle East matters at home.

That is why we are strengthening our defence partnership with Saudi Arabia, protecting the most vulnerable in Syria, supporting our partners in Lebanon and working with the international community to push for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, secure the return of all hostages and accelerate aid into Gaza.

To deliver on my plan for change, we need a strong foundation of security but that cannot just be built at home, it requires us to play our part on the world stage to support stability and protect partners from threats, both now and in the future.

The visit comes as the UK steps up its work towards a viable two-state solution in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the future and builds on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

As part of that work, Sir Michael Barber KB has been re-appointed by this Government as the UK's Envoy for Palestinian Authority Governance, in addition to his role as the adviser on Effective Delivery. Sir Michael is supporting the Palestinian Authority as it implements its vital reform agenda to strengthen its delivery capacity and improve service provision.

The appointment reinforces the importance the government is placing on forging a foundation of security to ensure delivery on the government's missions, with the Middle East vital to UK supply chains and delivering on growth.

Recent insight gathered by the British Chamber of Commerce revealed 50% of UK businesses have been impacted by the Israel - Gaza conflict, while the instability has caused shipping container rates to fluctuate significantly. The cost of shipping a 40ft container from Shanghai to Rotterdam has risen from just over $1,000 since October 2023, to just under $4,000 now, having peaked at over $8,000 in July, further squeezing British businesses and impacting hardworking consumers.

As part of the pledge to play a greater role in the region, the UK will also bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with a major package of assistance to support the ceasefire agreed between Lebanon and Israel.

The LAF are essential to the future security and stability of Lebanon, Israel and the wider region as the only legitimate military force of the Lebanese state.

The UK will support the initial training of hundreds of LAF recruits and provide equipment, through contractors, to the LAF as it increases its deployment in southern Lebanon.

This will enable an enhanced LAF deployment into the area that Lebanese Hizballah has agreed to withdraw from under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

It comes after the Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, travelled to Bahrain at the weekend to agree the UK would join the US-Bahrain Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA), which aims to build long-term security and stability across the Middle East.

The UK, US and Bahrain hope this move will encourage others, in the region and beyond, to work towards regional stabilisation and integration through shared values, security and prosperity.

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