Jul 24, 2026

BEI Weekly Update - 24th July 2026

by

David Landsman

by

Dear Members and Friends,

Despite attention this week focused on the appointment of a new Prime Minister with a distinctly domestic flavour to his agenda and initial announcements, the world remains as uncertain as it was last week and the UK will continue to need to manage the risks and seize the opportunities internationally too. The statements by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Business and Trade Secretary (with a new title and enhanced responsibilities) Jonathan Reynolds give an initial sense of the Government’s direction, both continuity and change. Our colleagues in D Group will doubtless have more to say on the appointment of Wes Streeting to the MOD and we will continue be mindful of the opportunities in the intersection between defence and development.

The appointment of Kirsty McNeill as International Development Minister brings to the role someone with an extensive background in the sector. We look forward to engaging with her soon. Across the board we will be taking stock of the new Government’s priorities and working with Ministers and officials to support our members’ international business. One aspect of this where we and D Group will be working together is to ensure that we are aligned with the Government’s devolution agenda as it unfolds.

Yesterday, I attended the Jordan-UK Business Forum in the presence of HM King Abdullah. Following our recent meetings with members of the Jordanian Government and with the British Ambassador to Amman HE Philip Hall, this was another opportunity – in the company of some BEI members – to focus on the opportunities both in Jordan itself and through Jordan to the wider region. We will continue to work with both Embassies to bring opportunities and connections for our members. On the same theme, I should mention a DBIST and British Water webinar taking place on 4 August. The session will be hosted by Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation, H.E. Raed Abu Soud, and Ambassador Hall. This will focus on priority projects and forthcoming opportunities for private-sector engagement in Jordan. If you’re interested in joining, please register here.

Also this week, BEI had an excellent webinar with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), organised in partnership with the British Embassy in Manila. The session explored how UK companies can best access and compete for ADB-financed opportunities across Asia. It served as a prelude to the ADB Business Opportunities Fair (BOF) in September, which will aim to help UK organisations make best use of future engagement with the Bank and to build stronger, more strategic pipelines in doing so. More on this to come.

We recently published an article on our website examining whether climate adaptation could be considered the new common ground. This piece is based on a debate organised in collaboration with IMechE during London Climate Action Week. Many thanks to Martin Townsend, Director at the Centre of Excellence for Sustainability BSI (British Standards Institution), for putting this together. Do take a look here.

Finally, you might be interested to see an article recently published in the German newspaper Der Speigel on the Future Leaders Group. The interview was conducted at Sandhurst during the final session of the most recent cohort. We are delighted that the course is reaching a global audience. We are currently putting the finishing touches to the next cohort, due to commence in late September. If you are interested in participating, or would like to find out more, please do not hesitate to contact myself or Elizabeth Beroud (elizabeth@futureleadersgroup.uk) and we will be delighted to share more details with you.

With best wishes for the weekend,

David Landsman

Executive Chair

British Expertise International

Event Recordings and Resources:

(Member access only)‍

Upcoming BEI Events:

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 09:00 – 10:30 BST: Republic of Korea - Market Opportunity Overview - Join us online for a market opportunity overview with the British Embassy in Seoul, where we will explore the practical opportunities, challenges and support available to UK organisations who are looking to do business in Korea or partner with Korean companies on third-country collaboration opportunities, particularly in Ukraine.
Thursday 3rd September 2026 11:00 – 12:30 BST: FCDO Development Director Series: Tanzania - Join us on 3rd September as Anna Wilson, the Development Director in Tanzania for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), offers us updates on the current context on the ground as well as insights into FCDO’s development strategy in Tanzania.
Date and Time TBC: Working with the Inter-American Development Bank - Join us for a virtual webinar with the Inter-American Development Bank. Our panel of speakers will explore the IDB's work as a principle source of financing, technical expertise and knowledge for sustainable and inclusive development. The IDB will share an update on its strategy, alongside information about how it works with suppliers and guidance on navigating its procurement process.

Register for an upcoming event →

External Events and Resources:

7th October 2026 16:00 - 17:30 CET: BID for the Americas: Increasing Business Opportunities for European Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean - Learn how the IDB supports European companies expanding their business engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean through trade promotion, project financing, public procurement, and investment. (Virtual Webinar)
11th - 13th November 2026: Africa PPP Summit in Nairobi, Kenya: the 16th Africa PPP Summit is co-convened by Kenya PPP Directorate and supported by the State Department for Public Investment & Asset management, National Treasury, Kenya. This years theme is "Building Africa’s Prosperity: Transformative Infrastructure, Investment and Partnerships to Accelerate Economic Development”. BEI members have an exclusive 10% discount. Please email Sofia Pennacchietti via sp@britishexperitse.org for more information.
Cambridge Education Legacy Webinar Series - A special legacy webinar series sharing key lessons from 45 years of supporting education systems worldwide, with a look ahead to the future of the global education sector.
AI for Social Impact Webcast Series from Accenture - A series of one-hour sessions, open to all organisations in the social impact sector, including non-profits and social enterprises. Each webcast will focus on a key theme within AI, designed to be relevant and applicable to social impact organisations of a variety of sizes, geographies, and current levels of AI proficiency.
City & Guilds: Essential Digital Skills: Employer Perceptions Survey
Why Human Matters: the Leadership 'Rap' Around: Register your interest for this leadership course here, or email hello@tophatdiscovery.com