Sir Keir Starmer will travel to the Persian Gulf today in a bid to strengthen ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

He has said the visit will help the UK to “build a network of partners” and “driving high-quality growth” – but has faced criticism for working with Saudi leaders in spite of their human rights record.

And the Prime Minister could be going further still and seeking direct financial backing from UAE wealth funds, building on the already-lucrative relationship between the two countries, with trade worth £23 billion.

Alongside meeting with UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mr Starmer is planning to sit down with representatives from the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, according to The Telegraph.

During the meeting, he will reportedly deliver a message of “you can trust us” to bigwigs including Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president of the UAE and Manchester City

Discussions are expected to centre around the UK’s commitment to nuclear infrastructure, the newspaper reports, with the huge £20 billion pound power plant Sizewell C – which has yet to secure financial backing – high on the agenda.

Ministers have said the project will create 10,000 jobs and energy giant EDF said it will generate enough low-carbon electricity to supply six million homes.

While five potential investors could help to bring the development to fruition – among them the owner of British Gas, Centrica, and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) – sources told The Telegraph that they were hoping additional investors would top up other commitments.

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“Driving long-term growth at home requires us to strengthen our partnerships abroad,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is why I’m travelling to the Gulf this week, to build a network of UK partners that is focused on driving high-quality growth, boosting opportunities and delivering for the people at home.”

The government has been called on by human rights groups to prioritise human rights over investment in talks with the Middle Eastern powers, however.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly executed 300 people in 2024 and the Reprieve group has described the visit as an opportunity for Mr Starmer to “address the escalating execution crisis” in the state.

The West Asian country is currently the UK’s biggest defense exports market, worth £3.8 billion a year.