
The Archbishop of Canterbury today challenged the Saudi Crown Prince over the persecution of Christians in the kingdom and voiced his grave 'distress' at the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as they met for talks.

The Saudi leader is getting the red carpet treatment for his visit to Britain and was given the rare honour of a private lunch with the Queen at Buckingham Palace and a dinner with Prince Charles last night.

And today he arrived at Lambeth Palace for a tour, but Justin Welby used the visit to press the prince on his country's human rights record at home and abroad.

A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: 'The Archbishop shared his concern about limits placed on Christian worship in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and highlighted the importance for leaders of all faiths to support freedom of religion or belief, drawing on the experience of the UK.

'In a cordial and honest conversation, the Archbishop voiced his distress at the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and asked that all that is possible be done to alleviate the suffering of civilian populations and to seek an end to the conflict.'

The Saudi Crown Prince made a 'strong commitment to promote the flourishing of those of different faith traditions' the spokesman added.

Saudi Arabia 's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived at Lambeth palace today and met with the Archbishop of Canterbury today as British officials continue to treat him to he full red carpet treatment

Saudi Arabia 's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today met with the Archbishop of Canterbury (pictured together) after agreeing a huge £65billion trade and investment package with the UK

The Saudi leader arrived at Lambeth Palace this morning where he spoke with the Right Reverend Justin Welby and other church officials.

The meeting came amid continued protests at the Saudi leader's visit by critics who accuse the regime of war crimes in Yemen and the persecution of political opponents at home.

How are Christians treated in Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country which does not officially recognise the Christian faith. Conversion from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death and churches are banned . This means that Christians wanting to practice their faith are driven underground and have to meet in secret in houses. But these are frequently raided by police and the Christians inside arrested, imprisoned, tortured and deported for their faith. Some 1.25 million Christians are estimated to live in the country out of a total population of 30 million. Most of them are understood to be immigrants working in the country - many originally from the Philippines. Advertisement

But the crown Prince and Theresa May defied the angry demonstrators who descended onto Whitehall last night by agreeing a huge £65billion trade and investment package with the UK.

The two leaders made the pledge for long-term trade links as protesters - including several members of the Labour Party's shadow Cabinet - gathered outside the gates of Downing Street to protest at the visit.

Angry protests have threatened to overshadow the three-day visit, but British officials have continued to roll out the red carpet for the Saudi leader.

The PM also took the opportunity yesterday to raise 'deep concerns at the humanitarian situation in Yemen' where Saudi led forces are raging a bloody war and have been accused of breaching internal humanitarian law.

They met for talks together with senior officials on both sides at the first ever UK-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council - a high-powered meeting will be repeated annually to build ties.

Earlier yesterday the Saudi ruler lunched with the Queen and Duke of York at Buckingham Palace as Britain treats the Crown Prince to pomp and ceremony during his three-day visit to Britain.

But the trip looks set to be overshadowed by protests which began yesterday as angry demonstrators descended on Whitehall carrying placards and chanting.

Among the crowd which gathered outside the gates of Downing Street Labour's shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon and Labour's shadow business minister Laura Pidcock joined the protest.

Mrs May has vowed to raise concerns over the conduct of Saudi's war in Yemen during yesterday's talks amid growing anger at the roll of British personnel in advising the Saudi airforce

Theresa May (pictured left with ministers including Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, Chancellor Philip Hammond, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Education Secretary Damian Hinds and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt) sat face to face Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the inaugural UK-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and International Trade secretary Liam Fox were among the PM's ministers who attended the talks with Saudi Arabia's leaders today

The Prince of Wales with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman before they had dinner at Clarence House

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with the Queen at Buckingham Palace earlier (pictured) to kick off a three-day trip set to be dominated by protests

Critics have slammed the Government for inviting the royal while his kingdom is accused of war crimes and millions of Yemenis are at risk of famine

Labour's shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon and Labour's shadow business minister Laura Pidcock joined the protest

Mr Burgon posted a pictured of the pair at a demonstration opposite Downing Street with the message: 'This evening myself, @LauraPidcockMP and other Labour MPs joined the demonstration outside 10 Downing Street protesting against the Government's red carpet for Saudi Arabia's ruler and bomb buyer in chief.'

Critics have slammed the Government for inviting the royal while his kingdom is accused of war crimes and millions of Yemenis are at risk of famine.

Why is Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen going to trigger protests? What is Saudi Arabia's role in the war in Yemen? Yemen has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since 2014 when Houthi rebels took over the capital city of Sanaa. Saudi Arabia feared the rise of the group it says is backed by Iran, the region's key Shia power. Riyadh formed a coalition with other mainly Sunni Arab states to restore the ousted Yemeni government. What action has Saudi Arabia taken? As well as bombing campaigns, the kingdom hit Yemen with naval blockades after a missile was fired towards Riyadh. The ports of Hodeidah and Salif were blocked off for weeks, stopping crucial aid and supplies from reaching the country. How has the conflict affected Yemenis? The UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, says the country is suffering the "world's worst humanitarian crisis". Some 22.2 million people, 75 per cent of the population, are in need of aid as they battle conflict, famine and disease, and thousands have died. Advertisement

Human rights demonstrators dressed as Mrs May and the Crown Prince descended on Westminster while red double-decker buses carried protesters through Westminster.

And Kate Osamor, Labour's shadow international development secretary, branded tore into the Government for signing 'grubby deals' with the regime.

She wrote on PoliticsHome: 'Tory spokespeople say that the Crown Prince is not the architect of Yemen’s war, but a progressive reformer we should work with, and that our relationship with Saudi Arabia is a price worth paying because it will help us fight terrorism. Absolute nonsense.

'For the Government and for Saudi Arabia, this visit is about sealing grubby business deals and about salvaging reputations...

'We should be outraged that the UK is putting business deals ahead of the lives of millions of people in Yemen, and turning a blind eye to humanitarian disaster and to human rights.

'It makes a mockery too of our country’s important commitment to international development: we will have sent almost £200m in taxpayer-funded aid to Yemen in the last year, even as British-made bombs continue to rain down.

'It is private firms – not even the taxpayer – that will recoup billions in profit from these sales. It is giving to Yemenis with one hand, and taking away with the other.'

But the PM yesterday defended Britain's close ties with the country as she was challenged over it during PMQs in the Commons.

Mrs May said: 'The link that we have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one and it has saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country.'

She added: 'I will be raising concerns abut human rights with the Crown Prince when I meet him.'

Her remarks came after Jeremy Corbyn accused her Government of 'colluding' with war crimes by selling arms to Riyadh while it stands accused of breaching human rights laws in Yemen.

The Labour leader said: 'Germany has suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia but British arms sales have sharply increased and British military advisers are directing war.

'It cannot be right that her government is colluding in what the United Nations says is evidence of war crimes.

'Will the Prime Minister use her meeting today with the crown prince to halt the arms supplies and demand an immediate ceasefire in Yemen?'

Mr Corbyn's spokesman then told reporters: 'British military personnel are in the operations room where these bombing campaigns are being conducted. They are advising directly on the targeting of infrastructure and operations in Yemen.

'If they are trying to avoid civilian casualties, it has been a disastrous failure since the civilian casualties have been extremely high and the targeting of schools and hospitals in Yemen by the Saudi air force is on a very large scale.

'There is clearly evidence of war crimes having been carried out in Yemen by the Saudi air force.

'Targeting of civilian infrastructure, hospitals and schools - which has happened on a large scale in Yemen - is a war crime.

'It is essential that stops.'

Hitting back at Mr Corbyn's comments in PMQs, Mrs May's official spokesman said: 'The suggestion that the British military advisers are directing the war is simply not true.

'The United Kingdom is not a member of the Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen, British personnel are not involved in carrying out strikes, directing or conducting operations in Yemen, and are not involved in the Saudi targeting decision making process.'

The Crown Prince was followed by his huge delegation as he arrived at Downing Street for talks with Theresa May yesterday

Theresa May defended Britain's close ties with Saudi Arabia as she was challenged over the Crown Prince's visit during today's PMQs in the Commons

Mrs May and the Crown Prince (pictured today on the steps of Downing Street) will meet again tomorrow at Chequers

Theresa May's spokesman said that in the talks she will also 'stress the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access' through the ports of Hodeidah and Salif, which have previously been hit by coalition blockades (pictured, Saudi ministers leaving the meeting)

Detailing the discussions at No10 yesterday, the PM's spokesman said the pair had talked about investment, pushing women's rights in Saudi Arabia and the war in Yemen.

Who is in the Saudi delegation? Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Saudi Ambassador to the UK, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud Minister of Commerce and Investment, Dr Majed Bin Abdullah Al Kassabi Minister of Health, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah Foreign Minister, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Falih Minister of Education, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Issa Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed al-Tuwaijri Head of General Intelligence Presidency, Khalid bin Ali Al Humaidan Advertisement

He said: 'The meeting agreed a landmark ambition for around £65bn of mutual trade and investment opportunities over the coming years, including direct investment in the UK and new Saudi public procurement with UK companies.

'This is a significant boost for UK prosperity and a clear demonstration of the strong international confidence in our economy as we prepare to leave the European Union.'

He added: 'The Prime Minister raised our deep concerns at the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

'The Prime Minister and Crown Prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen.'

The Crown Prince also had dinner with Prince Charles and Prince William last night.

He will also see Mrs May again at her country retreat of Chequers later today and hold talks with Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson on Friday.

Yemen has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since 2014 when rebels took over the capital city of Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia is the main player in a coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis in a war which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.

Britain has been criticised in some quarters for arms sales to the kingdom during the war.

Commuters along Aspen Way, near Canary Wharf, were tonight met with electronic billboards displaying the Crown Prince's face, captioned: 'He is bringing change to Saudi Arabia'

Metropolitan Police officers were on standby outside Downing Street tonight as protesters gathered to condemn the visit of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

The Crown Prince has been the driving force behind a modernisation programme, Vision 2030, in Saudi Arabia, but the reforms have been dismissed as a 'mirage' by campaigners.

It is hoped today's Downing Street summit could lead to Saudi investment in and through the UK of up to £100 billion over the next 10 years.

The Crown Prince has also been granted rare access to a briefing on foreign policy issues, including Yemen, by national security officials.

The Government has faced criticism over its arms sales to the kingdom but Downing Street insists it 'operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world'.

According to analysis by human rights charity Reprieve, executions have doubled under the Crown Prince.

The organisation said since his appointment in July 2017, 133 people had been executed compared with 67 in the previous eight months.

Amnesty International said reforms in Saudi Arabia were 'largely a mirage', with 'peaceful critics' of the government thrown in jail and women reliant on permission from men if they want to travel, be educated or get a job.

UK director Kate Allen said: 'We'd like to see Theresa May finally showing some backbone in the UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia.

'Mrs May and her ministers should challenge the Saudi authorities over their atrocious human rights record, not swallow the unconvincing spin from Riyadh.'

Rob Williams, chief executive at War Child UK, a charity for children affected by conflict, said: 'Britain is complicit in the humanitarian crisis in Yemen through providing diplomatic support to Saudi Arabia, as well as selling our most high tech and deadly weapons to a coalition that the United Nations has verified as committing grave violations against children.

'I urge Theresa May to now stand for values that Britain can be proud of, a nation that sets an example to the world, that is principled and compassionate and prioritises children's lives over trade deals.'