Saudi crown prince to visit UK on March 7

London [United Kingdom], Feb 28 (ANI): Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit the United Kingdom (UK) on an official visit from March 7, the Downing Street has announced.

"The visit will also provide an opportunity to enhance our co-operation in tackling international challenges such as terrorism, extremism, the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen and other regional issues such as Iraq and Syria," Al Jazeera quoted a spokesperson for the UK's prime minister Theresa May as saying.

"The visit will also provide an opportunity to enhance our co-operation in tackling international challenges such as terrorism, extremism, the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen and other regional issues such as Iraq and Syria," the statement added.

According to the reports, in a separate statement issued after the meeting with her cabinet, May said the crown prince's visit would allow Britain to talk "frankly and constructively" about areas of concern like Yemen and security in the Middle East.

Meanwhile Reprieve, a UK-based rights group, has objected to the crown prince's visit, saying that, "The close relationship Theresa May trumpets has led to British police officers training Saudi agents in the kind of cyber-monitoring techniques which have been used to justify death sentences."

By Tuesday, more than 11,000 people had signed an online petition calling on May to cancel the crown prince's visit, as per the reports.(ANI)