Boris Johnson will be missing from today's PMQs as he's jetted off to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as part of efforts to end the West’s 'addiction' to Russian fuel in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The PM's whistle-stop trip means Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab will be standing in. But Mr Johnson's trip is far from being without controversy, with the Prime Minister facing calls to challenge the nations over their record on human rights.
Here the PA news agency looks at why Mr Johnson is destined for the Gulf states and how he squares this with apparent desires to divest away from “authoritarian regimes”.
