Saudi Arabia: RAF Support

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I declare my interest as a long-standing member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Saudi Arabia. Recently His Excellency the ambassador gave us a full briefing on what is going on. All our sympathies and prayers go out to those who lost their lives in some of the incidents that occurred—including those who were there purely for pilgrimages. I welcome the support that our Government are providing at the moment—on the understanding, of course, that they will review it on a regular basis. My question is simple: the Minister will know that the US is having discussions with the Houthis at the same time, so what discussion, if any, has taken place with our counterparts in the US with regard to our response here?

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for mentioning the impact that these terrible attacks are having on Saudi Arabia. As she knows, we strongly condemn them, hence our provision of support. Clearly, wider diplomatic actions are being led more by the FCDO than by the MoD, but officials on both sides are talking to allies in the region and, of course, the United States and other countries that are concerned that that action continues. I can confirm that the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff spoke to their Saudi counterparts within days.