BICOM

David Cameron arrives in the Gulf region today with Defence Secretary Philip Hammond in a visit designed to strengthen defence, security and commercial ties in the region.

The Prime Minister will land in Dubai before moving on to visit Saudi Arabia. The government appears to have invested significant energies into improving British relations in the Gulf region, this being David Cameron’s second visit as Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Part of the trip will focus on trying to secure the sale of around 100 Typhoon jets made by BAE Systems. This includes 60 planes slated for purchase by the UAE in a deal worth a reported £ 3billion, which would secure thousands of jobs in the UK. RAF Typhoons are apparently already in the UAE for a joint training session.

Beyond commercial ties though, the Prime Minister’s visit also comes at a time of regional uncertainty. Gulf leaders have expressed concern at the apparent support given by Britain and other western powers to opposition groups during the Arab Spring, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Such groups are perceived as a threat by many Gulf leaders, who fear that opposition leaders in the region have ties to Iran and wish to replace the current Gulf monarchies with Islamist regimes. Saudi officials for example, recently complained that the foreign affairs committee had been “manipulated” by Bahraini opposition leaders with links to Iran, who are keen to stress the Saudi role in helping to crush the unrest in Bahrain in March 2011.