Prince Andrew has been criticised for attempting to build closer business links with Saudi Arabia in the wake of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

The Duke of York told entrepreneurs at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi that he hoped to expand his Pitch@Palace initiative to the kingdom.

His enthusiasm for Saudi Arabia at the event on Thursday contrasted with the alarm expressed by business leaders and politicians around the world since Mr Khashoggi’s disappearance three weeks ago.

The UK’s trade secretary Liam Fox was among the list of politicians and company executives who dropped out of the “Davos in the Desert” conference in Riyadh as a result of the scandal.

Prince Andrew did not make any reference to the issue in his remarks to a gathering of business leaders.

“We have been expanding over the past two years to include other members of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council),” the Duke of York said.

“What we are doing with Pitch in this part of the world is to work in partnership, first of all with the Khalifa Fund but also with Bahrain ... and hopefully in the future with Saudi Arabia and other parts of this world.”

In his closing remarks, he again repeated his desire to bring his pitching initiative to Saudi Arabia.

“It’s hugely important for us to have partners in the region, we look forward to working in Bahrain with our partners there and, as time goes by, we hope to expand also into Saudi and other GCC countries,” he said.

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The prince’s remarks came days after campaigners called for the royal family to sever its relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Allan Hogarth, Amnesty International UK’s head of policy and government affairs, said: “The appalling killing of Jamal Khashoggi is a worldwide wakeup call over Saudi human rights for politicians, business people and, we would hope, for our own Royal Family.”

Mr Khashoggi, who wrote for the Washington Post, had become an outspoken critic of the kingdom and its crown prince Mohamed bin Salman in particular since his exile to the US.

Saudi Arabia initially denied allegations by Turkish officials that it was involved in the disappearance of the journalist at its consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.

Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Show all 7 1 /7 Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi Washington Post journalist who was critical of the Saudi regime and the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he was murdered on 2 October in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul AFP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Heir to the Saudi throne, Mohammed bin Salman has been implicated in the murder, with US officials claiming that he must have known of the plot AFP/Getty Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures 15 man hit squad Turkish police suspect these 15 men of being involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, issued 10 October, 8 days after the journalist disappeared EPA Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saud al-Qahtani Aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saud al-Qahtani is claimed to have ordered Khashoggi's murder Saud Al-Qahtani/Twitter Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb A former diplomat who often travelled with the Crown Prince, Mutreb was initially claimed to be the leader of the hit squad and is pictured here entering the Saudi consulate on the day of the murder AP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Mustafa al-Madani First implicated in the 15 CCTV photos released by the Turkish police, al-Madani was later found to have been used as a body double for Khashoggi, leaving the Saudi consulate dressed in his clothes on the day the journalist was killed CNN Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi (L) Son of the murdered journalist met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 23 October EPA

It later claimed that Mr Khashoggi died accidentally during a “fight” at the building.

However the Saudi prosecutor general has since described the killing as a premeditated crime while a UN investigator has called it an “extrajudicial execution”.

The crown prince has denied any involvement in the alleged murder but is facing mounting pressure over the scandal.

Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle told The Independent: “Prince Andrew’s open call for doing business with a man who has just ordered the murder and dismemberment of a journalist hits a new low, even for him.