The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan, met with a number of senior British officials and leaders of leading British and international companies in the defense, aviation and space sectors, to discuss opportunities for cooperation in the fields of advanced technologies, innovation and industrial development.

During his visit to the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, Prince Abdullah bin Khalid held talks that discussed ways to enhance defense cooperation between the Kingdom and Britain, serving the common interests of the two countries and contributing to the preservation of regional and international security, given the close strategic partnership between the two countries and the fact that defense cooperation represents a fundamental pillar in the course of bilateral relations.

Exploring prospects for its development and identifying new avenues for cooperation

He also met with a number of senior officials of the British Ministry of Defense, including British National Armaments Director Robert Pierce, Director General for Industry, Trade and Economic Security at the British Ministry of Defense Avril Jolliffe, and British Senior Defense Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren.

In the context of his meetings with representatives of the industrial sector, he met with officials of a number of leading British and international companies, including BAE Systems, Eurofighter, MBDA, and Rolls-Royce, where discussions focused on areas of technology exchange, research and innovation, industrial development, and capacity building, in support of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and enhancing industrial partnerships between the two sides.

During the meetings, areas of existing cooperation between the two sides were reviewed, and prospects for their development and identification of new avenues for cooperation consistent with the renewed priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom in the fields of defense and advanced industries were discussed.

He affirmed the Kingdom's commitment to encouraging British companies to enhance their long-term industrial presence in the Kingdom and to actively participate in localization initiatives, noting that expanding cooperation in the fields of advanced technologies and innovation would enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the defense sectors in both countries, in addition to consolidating the long-standing strategic partnership between the two countries.