{"id":114593,"date":"2026-02-08T22:41:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T22:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=114593"},"modified":"2026-02-08T22:41:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T22:41:00","slug":"why-prince-williams-saudi-arabia-visit-is-a-diplomatic-maze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=114593","title":{"rendered":"Why Prince William\u2019s Saudi Arabia visit is a diplomatic maze"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cHe didn\u2019t flinch when the request came in.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are the words of a royal source when asked whether Prince William had shown any resistance to the UK government\u2019s request that he visit Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe takes his role as Prince of Wales very seriously, so when the government asks, he goes,\u201d the source told me.<\/p>\n

But this trip \u2013 the prince\u2019s first to Saudi \u2013 is something of a diplomatic maze.<\/p>\n

Previous official visits to Estonia, Poland, Brazil and South Africa have not been as sensitive \u2013 Saudi Arabia is a whole different ballgame.<\/p>\n

Arriving on Monday, the trip will focus on energy transition and young people \u2013 key areas of development in a country undergoing significant change.<\/p>\n

Prince William is visiting Saudi Arabia that looks very different from the one his grandmother visited during her 70-year reign. The regime remains authoritarian and is led by an absolute monarchy, but culturally, society has been opening up, and the country is seeking to diversify its economy beyond oil.<\/p>\n

The list of high-profile entertainment and sporting events on Saudi soil is expanding,\u00a0like the Riyadh Comedy Festival, which last year featured an all-star \u2013 and predominantly male \u2013 line-up of heavyweights including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Bill Burr.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also on the calendar is the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, the Saudi Formula One Grand Prix and, in 2034, it will host the men\u2019s football World Cup \u2013 one of the highest profile events in sport.<\/p>\n

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accused Saudi leaders of using sport and comedy to whitewash its human rights record. The kingdom\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said he \u201cdoesn\u2019t care\u201d how it is labelled, as long as it is good for the Saudi economy.<\/p>\n

Meeting Mohammed bin Salman will be an important element of Prince William\u2019s visit. Known by his initials, MBS, the crown prince is Saudi Arabia\u2019s de facto leader and a controversial figure.<\/p>\n

Prince William is likely to have a private audience with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

William will be thoroughly briefed before this trip.<\/p>\n

He will know about Saudi Arabia\u2019s human rights record, where same-sex relationships are criminalised, and public protest and political dissent are punished. William will also be aware of women\u2019s roles and treatment in the country. While it has given women more freedom in recent years (in 2018, they were allowed to drive for the first time in decades), there are still enormous limitations compared with men.<\/p>\n

Importantly, William will also have been briefed on MBS\u2019s reputation and history.<\/p>\n

Will he bring up these topics in his discussions with the crown prince?<\/p>\n

Kensington Palace will not comment on plans for private conversations, but given the diplomatic sensitivities, it is hard to imagine William not touching on some difficult subjects during their private audience.<\/p>\n

He will be guided by the Foreign Office in London and the British Embassy in Saudi Arabia, which will help him navigate any discussions with an eye on positive outcomes for the UK.<\/p>\n

The visit comes after a challenging seven days for the Royal Family, as\u00a0the Epstein files\u00a0continue to bring further embarrassment.<\/p>\n

The latest release has heaped further damage on the British royals and sped up the\u00a0move of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor\u00a0from his Royal Lodge mansion, where he lived for more than 20 years, to the Sandringham Estate.<\/p>\n

It is far from the ideal backdrop for a major international trip, but sources say Saudi Arabia is the top priority for the UK government, which wants to strengthen ties with MBS.<\/p>\n

To do so, it is using a member of the Royal Family whom it feels can make an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a diplomatic secret weapon \u2013 a formidable tool for the government to deploy,\u201d a source explained.<\/p>\n

Prince William\u2019s recent visits, such as his 2025 trip to Estonia, were not as sensitive as his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prince William, who has discussed his vision for a modern monarchy, is visiting a country in transition.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaudi Arabia has been opening up massively over the past decade,\u201d said Dr Neil Quilliam from the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, the international think tank.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis younger generation of policy makers is much more transactional than their forefathers; there is greater competition for Saudi investment in the UK,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Saudis really like and appreciate being recognised, and deploying Prince William sends a signal that says we really value you.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the images we\u2019ll see this week of William with MBS will be difficult for many to stomach.<\/p>\n

A\u00a02021 US intelligence report\u00a0found that the Saudi crown prince approved the murder of exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.<\/p>\n

The report, released by the Biden administration, said MBS approved a plan to either \u201ccapture or kill\u201d Khashoggi.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia rejected the report, calling it \u201cnegative, false and unacceptable\u201d and MBS has denied any role in the murder.<\/p>\n

Amid the moves to modernisation, what hasn\u2019t changed is the Saudi authorities\u2019 attitude to its critics \u2013 both within the kingdom and abroad.<\/p>\n

In January, a judge in a UK court ruled that\u00a0Saudi Arabia should pay Ghanem al-Masarir damages\u00a0of more than \u00a33m.<\/p>\n

The London based YouTuber and satirist had used his online voice to attack the Saudi regime. He told the court that he\u2019d been followed, assaulted and had his phone bugged by agents acting for the kingdom, and that as a result he suffered psychological damage.<\/p>\n

The judges agreed with him.<\/p>\n

Despite his experience, al-Masarir is not against Prince William\u2019s visit, but urges the UK\u2019s future king not to hold back.<\/p>\n

Ghanem al-Masarir was stalked, harassed and attacked in central London after publicly criticising the Saudi Arabian royal family<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI understand why he is going \u2013 to strengthen Saudi-UK relations. I have no problem with him going\u2026 Prince William has a privileged place and opportunity to speak to Mohammed bin Salman,\u201d al- Masarir said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut to see them up there shaking hands \u2013 it is not real,\u201d he continues. \u201cPrince William will be standing next to a guy, who we know the CIA has said ordered the killing of Khoshaggi\u2026 it\u2019s something you cannot comprehend\u201d.<\/p>\n

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi and public opinion of Saudi Arabia\u2019s human rights record does not appear to have limited the courting of MBS by world leaders \u2013 William joins an illustrious list of visitors.<\/p>\n

A look back at recent guests says a lot about Saudi Arabia\u2019s influence: US President Donald Trump, France\u2019s Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, Ukraine\u2019s Volodymyr Zelensky, and the UK\u2019s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.<\/p>\n

Even Joe Biden, who once pledged to make Saudi Arabia a \u201cpariah\u201d over its human rights violations, then travelled to Jeddah, amid a storm of criticism, to meet the crown prince in 2022.<\/p>\n

Joe Biden initially refused to talk to MBS at the start of his presidency \u2013 18 months later, he fist bumped the crown prince upon arrival at his palace in Jeddah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is the dilemma of being in the room even when some aspects of that country\u2019s leadership don\u2019t align with your beliefs.<\/p>\n

This is what the British Royal Family has traditionally excelled at: the view that if you build relationships and strong ties, you open the door for the government to more easily address problematic and sensitive subjects. That is the soft power of monarchy.<\/p>\n

This trip also brings together two royal families.<\/p>\n

William\u2019s father, King Charles, has visited Saudi Arabia often, both publicly and privately, and maintains a warm relationship with the current generation of Saudi royals.<\/p>\n

King Charles has visited Saudi Arabia many times, including with Princess Diana in 1986<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cKing Charles loves the desert, and he spends a lot of time there in Saudi Arabia, painting and looking at the wildlife and likes the beauty,\u201d a former British senior diplomat to Saudi Arabia told me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a special link between the two royal families\u2026 There is affection between the two Kingdoms and a lot of shared history.\u201d<\/p>\n

This will be another stage in what those who work with Prince William call his development as a global statesman.<\/p>\n

His job will be to facilitate and solidify relationships in a region of great strategic importance to the UK.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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