DEPUTY Prime Minister Dominic Raab will go head to head with Sir Keir Starmer instead of Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions today.

But where is the Prime Minister?

Johnson is holding talks about ending reliance on Russian oil and gas after the invasion of Ukraine with the leaders in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

He said a global coalition was needed "to deal with the new reality we face".

Johnson landed in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morning.

He was met by British Ambassador to the UAE Patrick Moody at Abu Dhabi airport where he was guided through a guard of honour.

His first meeting was with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, before he travels to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to meet Crown Prince Salman.

Downing Street’s account of the meeting said they discussed energy supply but did not state whether the Prime Minister raised human rights concerns with the UAE’s Crown Prince.

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A No 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister set out his deep concerns about the chaos unleashed by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and stressed the importance of working together to improve stability in the global energy market.

“The leaders welcomed the longstanding partnership between our two countries and discussed opportunities to increase collaboration between the UK and UAE on energy security, green technology, and trade.

“They also agreed on the need to bolster our strong security, defence and intelligence co-operation in the face of growing global threats, including from the Houthis in Yemen.”

Opposition politicians have expressed concerns about the human rights records of the countries.

The trip comes just days after Saudi Arabia executed 81 people and with the kingdom still the subject of international outrage following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said "going cap in hand from dictator to dictator is not an energy strategy".

The National:

And shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband the trip was "a sign of our vulnerability and energy insecurity as a country".

But Johnson said: "I've raised all those issues many, many times - since I was foreign secretary and beyond and I'll raise them all again today."

Rees-Mogg also defended the Prime Minister's decision to visit Saudi Arabia, stressing the UK needs to move away from Russian oil and gas.

He said: "Saudi Arabia sits on very large reserves that will have an effect through the oil price on the living standards of people not just in this country but globally."

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Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also defended the trip on BBC Breakfast, insisting the UK was "absolutely right" to "look at alternative sources of oil and gas".

She said while the UK did not agree with "every single policy of Saudi Arabia or the UAE", they "do not pose a threat to global security in the way that Vladimir Putin does".

"We need to bring those countries into the circle of influence of the UK and pull countries away from dependence on Russia," she said.

PMQs will start at its usual time of midday, with the session lasting for around half an hour.