Boris Johnson will later meet with leaders in Saudi Arabia as he tries to build an “international coalition” against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The prime minister will discuss securing energy supplies from the region, saying the world needs to “wean itself” from Russian oil and gas.
However, Mr Johnson faced criticism over the Saudi government’s human rights record for taking part in the trip.
On Saturday they carried out a mass execution of 81 men in one day.
A number of MPs called on the Prime Minister to cancel his visit.
But Mr Johnson said if the West was to “avoid being blackmailed by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin” it had to move away from exploiting his country’s hydrocarbons and look at other partnerships.
Shadow Climate and Net Zero Minister Ed Miliband said it was “a sign of our vulnerability and energy insecurity as a country” that the prime minister “felt it necessary to go to Saudi Arabia” despite human rights concerns.
He added: “Once again it shows that the best solution to the energy crisis we are facing is a green energy sprint at home, so let’s end our dependence on fossil fuels once and for all.”
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Mr Johnson is due to arrive in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morning.
He will first meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi before traveling to the Saudi capital Riyadh to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
No10 said discussions would focus on “efforts to improve energy security and reduce volatility in energy and food prices”, including the possibility of agreeing increased oil supplies to the UK from the country.
Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister said: “The brutal and unprovoked attack that President Putin has unleashed on Ukraine will have far-reaching consequences for the world, far beyond the borders of Europe.
“Britain is building an international coalition to deal with the new reality we are facing. The world needs to wean itself off of Russian hydrocarbons and starve out of Putin’s dependence on oil and gas.
“Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are key international partners in this effort. We will work with them to ensure regional security, support humanitarian relief efforts and stabilize global energy markets over the longer term.”
Downing Street said Mr Johnson will also discuss “common strategic priorities with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia,” including the situation in Iran and Yemen, trade and human rights.
Opposition parties and some conservatives are also concerned about the government’s connection with Saudi Arabia – and have been for years.
This is even more acute after dozens of executions there a few days ago.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said going from dictator to dictator was no substitute for an energy strategy.
But for the government, dealing with the aftermath of the conflict in Ukraine means making what has been called “stubborn” decisions, even if they are “odious”.
With the vast diplomatic and economic forces at play, there are no easy options.
The disengagement of Russia’s economy from that of the West may seem diplomatically child’s play, but the costs and complications involved simply cannot be ignored.
Read more from Laura here.
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