The Prince of Wales will conduct his first official visit to Saudi Arabia in February at the request of the UK government.
Kensington Palace said the trip comes as the UK and Saudi Arabia near a century of diplomatic relations in 2027 and the countries “celebrate growing trade, energy and investment ties.”.
William’s first official visit to the country will take place between Monday February 9 and Wednesday February 11. This tour will mark the Prince’s first official overseas visit of the new year.
This will be William’s first time to the Middle East since his 2023 trip to Kuwait, where he paid his condolences following the death of its former ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah.
The Prince of Wales has previously visited neighbouring countries – the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
During a 2022 visit to the United Arab Emirates, the then-Duke of Cambridge voiced his concerns about climate change in a speech at the Dubai Expo 2020, warning that “change is not happening fast enough or at the scale we need.”
More recently in November last year, the future king made a five-day visit to Brazil to stage his Earthshot Prize.
The relationship between the Royal family and Saudi Arabia began almost a century ago when Queen Elizabeth II first made a visit to the country in 1979.
The UK Government has previously voiced concerns over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and in 2020 sanctioned 20 Saudi nationals involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Last year set a new record in the country for the highest amount of executions in one year, as at least 356 people were executed by Saudi authorities in 2025, according to the Human Rights Watch.
However the Prime minister was accused of prioritising the prospect of economic growth over human rights concerns when he first met the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2024.
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has since strengthened its relationship to the country with recent Saudi visits by the Chancellor and the Foreign Secretary.
Rishi Sunak also invited Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and prime minister Mohammed bin Salman in the UK in the autumn of 2023.
Saudia Arabia has also faced criticism and accusations of “sportswashing” by investing in sporting events such as the World Cup, which it will host in 2034, to distract from alleged wrongdoing and portray a favourable image to the world.
This is a breaking story – more follows…