UK Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia: Q & A

This briefing paper discusses UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on the risk of their use in Yemen in light of the scale of alleged IHL and IHRL violations by the Saudi-led coalition. This includes an overview of the type, quantity and value of UK exports to Saudi Arabia since 2010, as well as the arguments made by civil society, international organisations and parliamentary committees with respect to alleged violations of IHL at the hands of Saudi forces in Yemen. It also outlines the government’s position on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and significant policy developments in recent years, including as a result of Campaign Against Arms Trade’s (CAAT) judicial review proceedings which are also analysed in the briefing. It concludes by briefly considering the position of other European countries and the US on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.