Saudi crown prince invited to visit UK, government source says

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been invited to visit the UK, a government source has said.

No 10 said they would confirm the prime minister's engagements in the usual way, with nothing in the diary yet.

But a separate government source said there was no reason to think the visit would not happen.

It would be the first visit since the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

The murder of Mr Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia's government, was condemned by the West at the time.

US intelligence agencies concluded that the prince must have authorised the killing, despite him denying any involvement.

UK ministers have indicated a desire for closer ties with the kingdom in recent months. The nation has opened an office in London for its trillion pound investment fund to diversity its economy away from oil.

Earlier this year, Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps held talks with Saudi Arabia over collaborating more in sectors like space, tech, and critical minerals.

The government has also been exploring support for a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly recently travelled to Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.