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Dominic Raab is to press the Saudi Arabian government on its human rights record during his first visit to the country as foreign secretary.
Vast wealth and the promise of dramatic change make for cautious optimism concerning Saudi Arabia, the chief executive…
2222 Views | the publication reaches you by | Saudi Arabia TodayHe will also discuss the “devastating” humanitarian situation in Yemen and efforts to end its long-running war.
Last summer, the UK promised to stop approving export licences for arms to Saudi Arabia which could potentially be used in the civil war following a legal challenge by campaigners.
The UK and other Western powers are providing logistical support to a Saudi-led multinational coalition which is supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against the Iranian-backed rebel Houthi movement.
The five-year conflict, seen as part of a regional power struggle between Shia-ruled Iran and Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, has devastated the country and, according to the UN, claimed the lives of at least 7,500 civilians.
Ahead of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Mr Raab stressed its long-standing economic, security and intelligence ties with the UK but also the need for close co-operation on regional and global challenges.
The foreign secretary will hold talks with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and the government’s National Security Adviser Dr Musaad Al Aiyban as well as the Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Officials said Mr Raab would continue to “drive progress” on the Yemen peace process, following the recent surge in Houthi violence and constraints on getting humanitarian aid to those in need.
Four-fifths of the Yemeni population – 24 million people – are in need of humanitarian assistance or protection, including ten million who rely on food aid to survive.
150 take part through Watani Al Emarat via the ‘Your City Needs You’ initiative Over 150 volunteers –…
105 Views | the publication reaches you by | Saudi Arabia Today
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The Arab states of the Persian Gulf are the seven Arab states which border the Persian Gulf, namely Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).This excludes the non-Arab state of Iran. All of these nations except Iraq are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
