UK Foreign Secretary minister kicks off Middle East tour

London: UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly began a three-day tour to the Middle East to boost ties with the Jordon.

The trip — to Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan — comes after the UK government announced that citizens of Gulf countries and Jordan will benefit from a new electronic travel authorization visa scheme.

The scheme will make visiting the UK more affordable and accessible for Gulf and Jordanian travelers.

All three countries are also significant energy, defense, and security partners for the UK, and trade and investment with the Gulf are critical to supporting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ambitions for economic growth, according to a statement from the British Embassy in Amman.

The statement added that UK trade with Qatar and Kuwait was worth £18.1 billion ($23.2 billion) in 2022.

Cleverly will meet his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Amman on Tuesday and will announce up to £1.5 million in funding to support Jordan’s projects for women and girls.

Safadi will also meet UNHCR and World Food Programme representatives, where he will announce £30 million in financing over three years to provide cash aid and support to Jordan’s poorest refugees. This would provide basic food and living necessities to an about 70,000 refugees in camps and host communities each year.

“The UK’s mutually beneficial relationships with the Gulf and Jordan continue to thrive,” said Cleverly.

The foreign minister expressed pride in UK-Jordanian collaboration on common goals, such as strengthening commercial ties and security “for the benefit of us all.

“The UK also remains committed to supporting refugees and host communities, collaborating with our partners to help the most vulnerable in the region,” he added.

Cleverly will also meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Tuesday in Doha and later head to Kuwait to meet Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.