British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held phone calls with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman on Monday, with regional stability high on the agenda.
Topics such as the war in Gaza, defence and the UK’s trading relationships were raised during the conversations on Monday afternoon.
During a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the leaders reflected on the strong relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia, including through the Strategic Partnership Council.
Mr Starmer praised Prince Mohammed for his leading support for regional stability and underlined the UK’s commitment to peace and security in the region.
Keir Starmer's first week as Prime Minister - in pictures
Both leaders said they looked forward to working together to strengthen areas of shared interest, including trade, investment and defence co-operation.
Mr Starmer also spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday, with both agreeing the relationship between the countries was “deep and historic".
They discussed Gaza, with the Prime Minister commending King Abdullah for his strong leadership in ensuring regional security.
Both leaders agreed that “ensuring an immediate ceasefire is vital to ensure hostages get out and further aid can get into Gaza.”
During talks with Sultan Haitham of Oman, Mr Starmer affirmed his commitment to the relationship between the two countries and said he looked forward to expanding their ties across defence, security and economic prosperity.
The leaders also agreed on the importance of regional security in the Middle East and both plan to work closely to ensure stability.
The calls come after Mr Starmer spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas within 48 hours of entering No 10 Downing Street.
Amid fears of a wider Middle East war, he “clearly wanted to send a message” to Israel by urging restraint on its border with Lebanon, said Malcolm Chalmers of the Royal United Services Institute think tank.
Asked by The National about Britain's influence in the region, Mr Chalmers said there "may be some issues" in which Britain under Labour departs from US policy on Gaza.
These could include Britain's funding for the UN's Palestinian aid agency, the UNRWA, and its stance on the International Criminal Court's investigation into Mr Netanyahu and Hamas leaders.
There could even be a review of arms exports to Israel but “my instinct is that this government will not want to distance itself too much from the European mainstream", he said.
"If there is a large-scale attack on Lebanon in the coming months – which certainly a lot of Israelis are talking about, and it may happen – then the visibility of that will suddenly increase manifold.
“It’ll be very difficult to evacuate UK nationals who remain in Lebanon. The route to Syria is not as available as it was the last time there was a war.
"That will be a challenge for our armed forces."
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')
Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 55')
Man of the Match Allan (Everton)
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden | US$45,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Tabarak, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $175,000 (Turf) | 3,200m
Winner: Dubhe, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Estihdaaf, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
8.15pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Nordic Lights, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 | $450,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm: Handicap | $175,000 (T) | 1,200m
Winner: Mazzini, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
10pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,400m.
Winner: Mubtasim, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
