Boris Johnson ends Gulf tour without achieving his aims

Boris Johnson's visit to the United Arab Emirates ended without the British Prime Minister convincing the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, to increase oil flows to counteract the high oil prices.

A spokesman for Johnson's office said the UK leader made clear "his deep concern about the chaos caused by Russia's unwarranted invasion of Ukraine, and stressed the importance of working together". All of this to promote stability in the global energy market.

Both sides welcomed their long-term partnership with optimism and also agreed on the need to improve security, defence and intelligence cooperation in the face of growing global threats, including from the Yemeni rebel group, the Houthis. 

Johnson's trip to the Gulf comes against a backdrop of highly volatile oil prices as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war. Washington and London have decided to stop buying oil and gas from Moscow, while the European Union is trying to find other options.  

After the meeting with the Emirati prince, the British leader travelled to Saudi Arabia to explain his oil desires to the country. The results were the same, despite the Kingdom's understanding of the need for stability.

The Saudi state channel Al-Ekhbariya reported that Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the Saudi throne, discussed with the British leader the developments in the Ukrainian situation. The two leaders 'signed a memorandum of understanding on the formation of the Strategic Partnership Council', as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Reaching agreements to contain oil prices has been another of Boris Johnson's objectives. Crude oil costs are rising steadily and have now soared to almost $140. Observers believe that the position of the Emirates and Saudi Arabia with regard to this resource highlights Western fragility. 

In a statement, the UK signalled its willingness to build an international coalition to deal with the new landscape created by the conflict. The two Arab nations are "important global partners in this effort" and will work with them to "ensure regional security and support humanitarian relief efforts".

However, the praise failed to change the UAE and Saudi Arabia's position on the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pact. The OPEC group is fully committed to the goal of increasing monthly production by 400,000 barrels per day, but is reluctant to do so at a faster pace.

Toburn Solft, a researcher at UK risk assessment consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, argues that there are many challenges for Johnson as they seek to secure a change in Saudi Arabia's oil policy, which is reluctant to move away from the current OPEC framework.

During the meetings, the issue of increasing British investment in green energy has also been discussed. The Saudi energy group Alfanar is to invest £1 billion in a project to produce jet fuel from waste.