British officials have welcomed the visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to the United Kingdom in response to an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II. They highlighted the economic and political weight of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the regional and international arenas. The officials pointed out to the pioneering role of the Kingdom in the Middle East and the Muslim world as well as at the international forums. In statements to SPA, they reiterated the depth of the Saudi-British relations. British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs David Militant described the visit as an important historical event, and said the visit will further enhance the existing bilateral relations in the economic, trade, cultural and political domains. On his part, Shahid Mali , the Minister of State for international development, citing the Arab peace initiative presented by King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, said the Kingdom has been playing an important role in the Arab world. Meanwhile, Baroness Simons, the head of the Saudi-British trade council, said the UK has been attaching a great importance to the visit which will positively contribute to cementing bilateral relations. --More
