Keir Starmer officially appointed UK PM: Explore UAE-UK bilateral relations over the years

Britain’s head of state King Charles III has officially appointed Labour party leader Keir Starmer as the Prime Minister. The political party grabbed a landslide election victory on Thursday. Earlier the King accepted the resignation of Conservative leader Rishi Sunak.

UAE President HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has extended his heartiest congratulations to Starmer on becoming the UK PM, expressing his interest in working together to further strengthen the longstanding UAE-UK partnership, according to a statement on X.

The UK has long been a trusted friend of the UAE. In recent years, the Gulf state has aimed to be a source of stability, economic development and innovation in the region, and the UK has been an important partner in the pursuit of this objective.

UAE is UK’s largest trading partner in Middle East

Today, the UAE and the UK share a thriving bilateral relationship on a number of economic, strategic and cultural interests. Bilateral trade takes place across a variety of industries including energy, education, healthcare, defence and aerospace.

During a visit to the UK in 2021, His Highness and the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met to establish ambitious partnerships. The meeting concluded in several agreements, including on climate change and environmental cooperation, and on girls education.

The UAE is the UK’s third-largest trading partner outside Europe and the largest in the Middle East. There are more than 5,000 UK businesses operating in the Gulf state. Several British citizens live in the UAE and large numbers of Emiratis visit the UK every year.

UAE-UK sharing strong strategic, social, cultural ties

The UAE and UK also share a longstanding strategic partnership. The Emirati armed forces and the UK have strong ties, cooperating to preserve security and stability in the region. Both nations signed a Defence Cooperation Accord in 1996.

In 2009, the UK and the armed forces of the Gulf state signed a notable Memorandum of Understanding to cover arrangements for UK forces to utilise air bases in the UAE. Both nations also cooperate on information sharing and fighting money laundering.

The UAE and UK also share deep social and cultural relations. The Emirates has made several investments to boost technology and innovation. The UAE is a major funder of UK research and development projects and several UK universities have a presence in the UAE.