*LONDON:* Britain’s grand welcome for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed binSalman will begin on Wednesday with a lunch with Queen Elizabeth, as thetwo countries seek to widen longstanding defence ties into a far-reachingpartnership.

Both sense an opportunity to broaden their existing relationship: Britainis looking for trading partners as it exits the European Union, and SaudiArabia needs to convince sceptical investors about its domestic reforms.

But as Prince Mohammed and Prime Minister Theresa May meet, demonstratorswill protest both countries’ roles in Yemen where war has killed anestimated 10,000 people and where 8.3 million people depend on food aid and400,000 children have life-threatening levels of malnutrition.

Inside May’s Downing Street offices the two leaders will launch a “UK-SaudiStrategic Partnership Council” – an initiative to encourage Saudi Arabia’seconomic reforms and foster more cooperation on issues such as educationand culture, as well as defence and security.

“It will usher in a new era of bilateral relations, focused on apartnership that delivers wide-ranging benefits for both of us,” May’sspokesman told reporters.

Britain is vying to land the stock market listing of state oil firm SaudiAramco, but no decision is expected this week.

Later this month Prince Mohammed visits the United States, which also wantsthe lucrative listing, although sources said both countries may miss out.

British officials were privately delighted at the decision by PrinceMohammed, 32, to choose Britain as the major western destination on hisfirst foreign trip since becoming heir to the Saudi throne last year. TheBritish government is keen to transform its historic defence relationshipinto two-way trade and investment, eyeing both an expanded market in SaudiArabia for service sector exports, and attracting Saudi cash to financedomestic projects.Business deals are possible with British defence group BAE Systems andEuropean weapons maker MBDA, and initial agreements could be concluded ongas exploration, petrochemicals and other industries, according to Britishand Saudi sources.

*ROYAL TREATMENT*

The three-day visit will include two audiences with the British Royalfamily, a briefing with national security officials, and a prestigiousvisit to the prime minister’s country residence. May intends to use theprivate dinner at Chequers, a 16th-century manor house 40 miles (60 km)northwest of London, to bring up concerns over the humanitarian crisis inYemen, her spokesman said. A Saudi-led military coalition is fighting theHouthi movement in Yemen, generating what the United Nation said in Januarywas the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

“You can expect them to discuss Yemen, and the prime minister to raise deepconcerns at the humanitarian situation,” May’s spokesman said. “She willalso reiterate how seriously we take allegations of violations against theinternational humanitarian law.”Speaking to reporters in London on Monday, Saudi foreign minister Adelal-Jubeir said his country had failed to effectively communicate thereasons behind its involvement in Yemen, but that they had not chosen tostart the war. Protestors are planning to target the Saudi officials overYemen and other human rights issues, and Britain for licensing 4.6 billionpounds of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia since 2015.

Buses have spent two days touring London with banners accusing PrinceMohammed of war crimes, with more planned for Wednesday ahead of the mainrally.

“It is vital that people show up to the protest tomorrow outside DowningStreet to make clear that the UK government’s complicity in the war onYemen is not supported by the public and that we demand a peaceful andhumane foreign policy,” said Lindsey German of the Stop the War Coalition.- Agencies