North of England will benefit from closer ties to Saudi, says Starmer, as he visits Middle East

The north of England will directly benefit from closer trade ties with Saudi Arabia, the prime minister has said as he visits the country.

Sir Keir Starmer is to visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Monday, in a bid to build closer economic ties with the two Gulf states.

The prime minister's trip comes amid turmoil in the Middle East, with Syria's government overthrown by rebel fighters over the weekend.

Its president, Bashar al Assad, has fled the country for Moscow, according to state media.

Starmer "welcomed" the fall of the "brutal" regime ahead of his visit.

Syria latest: Assad flees to Moscow

As Starmer lands in the region, a Manchester-based company that specialises in the material graphene has announced a new deal with the Saudis to use its product in a major construction project.

The deal with Graphene Innovation Manchester aims to generate £250m of investment and research in Greater Manchester, and could generate more than a thousand skilled jobs.

The advanced material is considered environmentally sustainable and will be used in Saudi Arabia's Neom project, an ambitious megacity that promises to be a desert utopia.

Sir Keir said: "Every region and nation in the United Kingdom should feel the impact of our Plan for Change, which is why I am in the Gulf forging closer ties and strengthening relationships that support our growth mission in every corner of the country.

"I am determined to ensure international diplomacy drives local results, whether that is discussing how we can support regeneration in the UK or supporting business deals that create jobs - my international agenda starts at home."

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What happened in Syria over the weekend?

Sir Keir has also faced calls to raise the issue of human rights in Saudi Arabia during his visit. Some 300 people have been executed this year alone - a record-breaking figure.

Legal campaign group Reprieve said Sir Keir could save the lives of those awaiting the death penalty, including two child defendants.