Prince William is making his first visit to Saudi Arabia this week to celebrate “growing trade, energy and investment ties” between the kingdom and the UK. But with a number of sensitive issues on the table – from defence and intelligence sharing to Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record – how will the prince walk the diplomatic tightrope? Should the UK be pursuing a closer relationship with the kingdom at all?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

Roya Nikkhah, royal editor, The Sunday Times.
Sir William Patey, former UK Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producers: Julia Webster, Micaela Arneson.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Prince William to visit Saudi Arabia as diplomatic ‘secret weapon’

Further listening: Travelling with the Duchess in a war zone

Clips: NBC, BBC, HM Treasury.

Photo: Dana Chan, Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prince William walks a tightrope in Saudi Arabia

The Story