The Prime Minister is on her way back to London after her tour which took her to the Far East and seven countries in eleven days. Her last brief stop was in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where she had talks with King Fahd. He described their discussions as “useful”. It's understood they centred on the current Middle East trouble spots - the Gulf and Lebanon - and the need for stable oil prices. Mrs Thatcher had also been expected to raise ways of improving Britain's trade with Saudi Arabia, in particular contracts in electronics and high technology. A report from Riyadh by Brian Hanrahan who's been in the party travelling with Mrs Thatcher: [end p1]
The Prime Minister's plane landed at Riyadh's magnificent airport in the middle of the Saudi desert. Mrs. Thatcher, wearing an ankle-length dress, long sleeves and a light veil in deference to Arab tradition, was greeted by Crown Prince Abdullah. Almost the entire Saudi Cabinet were on hand to meet her.
Mrs. Thatcher's visit to Saudi Arabia was added to her Far East tour when King Fahd asked if she'd care to stop here on her way home. Her schedule gave her three hours in Riyadh just time for lunch and talks at the Royal palace. This is the final stop on Mrs. Thatcher's seven-nation tour. She's also been to the Asian countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia, as well as India and Sri Lanka. All of them, she said, were lands of opportunity and growing influence in world affairs.
With the Labour Party fiercely critical of some of the comments she's been making, Mrs. Thatcher gave a preview of what her reply to them will be. She said, “In all these places I have put over what Britain has to offer, and the true facts about Britain's economic performance. Record output, investment, and standard of living”.
She says the countries she's visited are lands of opportunity and growing influence in world affairs. This is the moment, she goes on, to capitalize on the goodwill for Britain in these key countries.