British Prime Minister David Cameron has embarked on a three-day tour of the Gulf and Middle East Monday in a bid to cement major UK arms sales and strength relations with key allies in the region. . The Prime Minister will personally spearhead a push to persuade the United Arab Emirates to buy 60 of BAE's Typhoon jets over French rivals in a deal reported to be worth upwards of 3 billion pounds, officials here said. Tomorrow he will travel on to Saudi Arabia - Britain's biggest trading partner in the region - which is also considering adding to its fleet of the aircraft. Downing Street said the visit - his second to each country as premier - were part of a wider effort to build a "reinvigorated partnership" between Britain and the region's leaders. Reinforced military ties are seen as crucial amid continued fears over Iran's nuclear ambitions and the threat Tehran could seek to badly disrupt oil supplies by blocking the Straits of Hormuz, officials pointed out. Cameron was flying first to a military airbase near Dubai where a number of RAF Typhoons are stationed to promote the aircraft to military and political figures from the UAE. He was also holding talks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Prime Minister of UAE on the potential for a joint work on the next generation of military aerospace equipment. Overall - including an expected deal with Oman - the Government hopes to secure deals for 100 Typhoons to the region in the coming year - worth at least 6 billion pounds to British firms. It could prove vital to BAE as it struggles to deal with massive defence spending cuts in the US and Europe and following the collapse of its planned merger with the major defence group EADS. Cameron faces a tough balancing act however as he attempts to secure billions in investment from the "oil-rich states" while addressing concerns about the human rights records of their regimes, commentators said. As part of the visit, Cameron will take part in a question and answer session with university students in Abu Dhabi and meet with UK business leaders at an investment event. "We want to work together with the Gulf countries towards a future that is rich in prosperity, strong in defence and open in its handling and pursuit of political and economic reform," Downing Street said ahead of the visit. The Prime Minister, accompanied by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, was met at Al Minhad military airbase by UAE foreign minister Anwar Gargash and Major General Issa Saif Mohammed al Mazrouei, Deputy Chief of Staff of UAE armed forces. They chatted to Typhoon crews at the base, which is used by the UK as a logistics hub for operations in Afghanistan and regional training, before joining some of the 70 British personnel stationed there for breakfast.
