BRITAIN will be hoping to extend its long and lucrative relationship with Saudi Arabia next month when King Abdullah makes his first state visit to London, Richard Beeston writes.

The monarch will stay at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the Queen for the three-day visit from October 30 to November 1.

Details of the visit are currently being finalised. Among the preparations for the trip will be a number of bilateral trade agreements to be signed when the King is in London. His arrival will also seal the newly agreed al-Salam (peace) arms project, which should lock the two countries into a defence agreement for the next two decades.

Britain has a longstanding defence relationship with Saudi Arabia. The two countries signed the al-Yamamah deal in 1984 for the supply of BAe Tornado warplanes to the kingdom. The rolling deal, involving maintenance and training, has been worth £43 billion and still operates.

Now the two sides have signed the al-Salam deal for 72 Eurofighter Tycoons worth an estimated £20 billion over the lifetime of the aircraft. The agreement was delayed because of controversy surrounding al-Yamamah amid allegations of bribes paid to Saudi officials. An investigation into the contract by the Serious Fraud Office was dropped last year after Downing Street insisted that it threatened Britain’s national security.

With that obstacle removed, Saudi Arabia then waited for Gordon Brown to take over as Prime Minister before finalising the deal. Saudi Arabia urgently needs to upgrade its defence capabilities because of the perceived threat posed by Iran, which is expanding its influence in the Arab world.

It is possible that Saudi Arabia will also buy two BAe destroyers worth £600 million each.