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Ammon News - British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Tuesday began a 3-day tour to the Middle East to emphasize the UK’s growing, mutually-beneficial partnerships with the region, according to a statement by the British embassy in Amman.

The visit, which will include Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, comes after the Government recently announced that citizens from Gulf countries and Jordan will benefit from the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation visa scheme, which will make travel to the UK cheaper and more accessible for visitors.

All three countries are also important energy, defense, and security partners for the UK, and trade and investment with the Gulf are vital to support the Prime Minister’s priorities to grow the economy, noted the statement, adding that UK trade with Qatar and Kuwait was worth £18.1bn billion last year alone.

In Jordan, Cleverly will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi later in the day, and will announce up to £1.5m to support initiatives for women and girls. The funding will go towards civil society organizations.

He will also meet with representatives from UNHCR (the UN’s refugee agency) and the World Food Programme where he will announce funding of £30 million over three years to provide cash assistance and support to the poorest refugees. This will cover their basic food and living needs – reaching an estimated 70,000 refugees per year in the camps and host communities.

"The UK’s mutually beneficial relationships with the Gulf and Jordan continue to thrive," said Cleverly.

He expressed pride in collaborations on shared goals like developing stronger trade ties and security "for the benefit of us all".

"The UK also remains committed to supporting refugees and host communities, collaborating with our partners to help the most vulnerable in the region," he stated.

Cleverly will meet with the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Tuesday in Qatar. He will then head to Kuwait to meet His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.