Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman has arrived in London for his controversial
three-day visit amid massive outcry and protests against Riyadh’s human
rights violations and its deadly war on Yemen.
Bin Salman was welcomed at London airport by Foreign Secretary Boris
Johnson late on Tuesday. He had lunch with Queen Elizabeth II at
Buckingham Palace on Wednesday and is scheduled to dine later with
Prince Charles and Prince William.
The Saudi delegation will also meet Prime Minister Theresa May and
senior ministers inside the premier’s Downing Street offices to launch a
UK-Saudi "Strategic Partnership Council," focusing on cooperation in
different spheres, including economy, education and culture, as well as
defense and security.
The three-day visit will also include a briefing with national security officials and a visit to May's country residence.
As welcoming ceremonies were underway for the Saudi crown prince,
anti-war activists rallied near Parliament and said they would protest
later outside the gates of Downing Street against Riyadh and London’s
roles in the war on Yemen.
In a fiery exchange with opposition lawmakers in parliament on Wednesday, May defended Britain's links to Saudi Arabia. May defends Saudi ties
Asked by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn whether she would slam
Riyadh’s "shocking abuse of human rights," May said, "The link that we
have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one, and it has
saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country."
Her statements were interrupted briefly as opposition lawmakers cried "Shame!"
Although May noted that she would raise humanitarian concerns about
Yemen in his meeting with bin Salman, she stressed that all arms sales
to Saudi Arabia were strictly regulated.
She underlined her government’s support for the Saudi-led war on
Yemen, noting that the campaign has been supported by the UN Security
Council. The handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace on
March 7, 2018, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shaking
hands with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London.
(Photo by AFP)
Saudi Arabia and its allies launched the war on Yemen in March 2015
to reinstall its former Riyadh-allied government. The military
aggression has so far killed over 13,600 Yemenis.
The war is being led by bin Salman, also Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, with the help of the US and the UK.
May’s government has remained defiant in the face of growing pressure
to stop arms exports to Saudi Arabia, defending the sales amid evidence
of war crimes and civilian deaths in Yemen.
The UK has increased its weapons sales by around 500 percent since the onset of the Saudi invasion, according to a report by The Independent.
The UK has, so far, sold more than six billion pounds of arms to Saudi Arabia. Business interests
Both Saudi Arabia and Britain try to seize the opportunity to broaden
their existing business ties. While Saudi Arabia needs to convince
skeptical investors about its domestic reforms, the UK is looking for
trading partners as it is in the process of exiting the European Union.
Britain seeks to expand its market for service sector exports in
Saudi Arabia and attract Saudi cash to finance domestic projects. London
also eyes listing state oil firm Saudi Aramco in its stock market.
According to British and Saudi sources, bin Salman’s visit is
expected to bring about several business deals, including an agreement
with British defense group BAE Systems and European weapons maker MBDA
as well as an initial agreement on gas exploration, petrochemicals and
other industries.
Diplomats say the agreements could be worth more than $100 billion. 'War criminal bin Salman not welcome'
The government tries to create a welcoming atmosphere for the Saudi
crown prince in London. London taxis display advertising graphics
welcoming Prince Mohammed and electronic billboards promote the visit.
However, anti-war activists and human rights campaigners have
designed buses and vans touring London over the past two days with
banners accusing bin Salman of war crimes. More similar programs are
underway before the main planned rally on Wednesday. Activists drive a truck in London on March 7, 2018,
protesting against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the
UK. (Photo by Reuters)
"The UK should not welcome war criminal Mohammed bin Salman," the banners read.
The activists accuse Mohammed bin Salman of being the "chief
architect" of the Yemen war, which according to the UN, has led to the
world's worst humanitarian crisis.
According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), over the past
three years, Britain has licensed $6.4 billion worth of arms sales to
Saudi Arabia.
“The pictures of the crown prince on the steps of Downing Street will
be projected around the world, and will be used by the regime to
legitimize it on the world stage. Theresa May is handing a major
propaganda coup to the dictatorship,” Al Jazeera quoted Andrew Smith of
the UK-based NGO as saying.
"For decades now, the UK has prioritized the interests of arms
companies over those of Saudi people. For the last three years, it has
prioritized them over the lives of Yemeni people too. No matter how bad
the conflict has got, May and her colleagues have continued pouring
weapons into it," he added.
