Johnson returns from trip to Saudi Arabia without commitment on oil

Johnson returns from trip to Saudi Arabia without commitment on oil

Boris Johnson has failed to secure a commitment from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to raise oil production after a day-long visit to the two Gulf countries.

The UK prime minister was heavily criticised by MPs ahead of his trip to Riyadh after the government executed 81 people on terrorism and related charges at the weekend. But Johnson defended the decision, arguing that as the world’s largest oil exporter, the kingdom was too important to ignore.

Johnson met the Saudi day-to-day ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a strategic partnership council after arriving from the UAE. The prime minister also said Saudi Arabia would be announcing a £1bn investment in Teesside to produce green aviation fuel.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have rebuffed US appeals to increase oil production to offset the loss of Russian oil. Washington has had strained relations with Saudi Arabia since Joe Biden arrived in the White House after he vowed to reassess relations with the kingdom over human rights concerns.

But Johnson, who is seen as having a better relationship with Prince Mohammed, also appears to have walked away empty-handed.

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