More than £360 million of joint UK–Saudi investment is set to create 187 jobs across both countries, including 97 in the UK. The announcement was made on 3 September at the GREAT FUTURES Summit in London, part of a wider programme to expand trade and investment ties between the two nations.

For the transport and logistics sector, the most notable element is Alfanar’s decision to launch its new UK headquarters in London. 

The office will act as a global hub for the company’s transport decarbonisation activities and oversee £94 million of investment.

This will include support for the £2 billion Lighthouse Green Fuels project in Teesside, which aims to become the world’s largest Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) facility. Around 80 new jobs will be created in the UK through this initiative.

Other investments announced at the summit include International Investment Gate (IIG) establishing its European headquarters in London, a new regional office for Control Risks in Riyadh, and global insurance group Howden launching a reinsurance business in Saudi Arabia.

In total, the package of announcements is expected to generate 187 jobs across the UK and Saudi Arabia.

According to the Department for Business and Trade, more than £3.7 billion worth of UK–Saudi deals have been secured since the launch of the GREAT FUTURES campaign in 2024, creating over 4,100 UK jobs to date.

The announcement comes as the UK continues to negotiate a modern trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Government estimates suggest such a deal could increase trade between the UK and Gulf states by 16 per cent, adding £1.6 billion to UK GDP annually and contributing an additional £600 million to UK workers’ wages in the long term.