Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Saudi Arabia on the reported rise in executions in relation to non-violent drug-related offences.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries as a matter of principle, and in all circumstances. Saudi Arabia is well aware of the UK's opposition to the use of the death penalty. We regularly raise our concerns about the use of the death penalty with the Saudi authorities using a range diplomatic channels, at Ministerial level and through our Ambassador and our Embassy in Riyadh.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Saudi counterpart on the cases of seven Egyptian nationals facing execution for non-lethal drug offences.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities, including individual cases of concern. I raised the cases of several Egyptian nationals with the Saudi authorities this year. The Government will continue to engage on this matter.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia on (a) releasing people detained and (b) lifting travel bans imposed on people for participating in peaceful protests.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. The UK is concerned over the arrests and continued detention of a number of individuals, particularly those detained for expressing their political views. We regularly raise concerns with the Saudi authorities about individual cases, and continue to call for detainees to be given adequate legal representation. The UK also recognises that travel bans can cause significant hardship and distress to those affected.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Saudi counterpart on the case of Turki al-Jasser.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We regularly raise concerns about individual cases, and officials in our Embassy in Riyadh have raised Turki Al-Jasser's case with the Saudi authorities. The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 21 July (HL9197 and HL9244), why the Prime Minister raised human rights issues with Saudi Arabia but not Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK and the Gulf countries have close and long-standing relationships. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue and work together on matters of shared interest in a variety of fora. The depth of our relationships allows us to work together constructively, raising points of difference as and when they arise. The answers provided in HL9197 and HL9244 relate to statements following meetings with our Gulf partners, and included non-exhaustive summaries of the issues discussed. The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Continued progress is in the interest of the UK, the Gulf and the international community.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 4 July (HL8923), whether the Prime Minister has discussed human rights issues with his equivalent or other senior political office holders in (1) Bahrain, (2) Saudi Arabia, (3) Oman, and (4) the United Arab Emirates, since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The content of such discussions are published in read-outs under the News and Communications page on gov.uk. Summaries of the most recent of such readouts are provided below.
Bahrain
The Prime Minister welcomed His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain to Downing Street today.
The leaders reflected on the strength of the UK-Bahrain relationship, and welcomed the UK becoming a full member of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) today. The agreement will deepen trilateral cooperation with Bahrain and the United States on regional security at a critical time, both agreed.
The Prime Minister also welcomed the signing of the Strategic Investment and Collaboration Partnership, building on the two-way investment partnership between the countries, and how this will unlock new investment, growth and jobs into the UK, delivering on the Plan for Change.
The leaders also underscored the importance of the new Defence Cooperation Accord between the two countries, deepening joint military training and building on the two nations’ strong naval ties.
Highlighting the strength of the 200-year relationship between both nations, the leaders looked forward to further cooperation, including trade negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Turning to the situation in the Middle East, the leaders called for de-escalation and both agreed on the need for enduring and closer relationships across the region to support stability.
The Prime Minister and Crown Prince looked forward to speaking again soon.
(2) Saudi Arabia
The Prime Minister met the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh this evening.
The leaders began by discussing the shared challenges and opportunities between the two countries, including on defence and security, growth, and research and development.
The Prime Minister updated on his Plan for Change, which he announced last week, including his ambition to drive growth across the country.
Saudi Arabia was already playing a central role in supporting growth and job creation in the UK, especially through the green energy sector, the Prime Minister added.
The relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia was also central to regional stability, the leaders agreed.
Reflecting on Saudi Arabia’s reform agenda, the leaders discussed the steps taken by the Crown Prince’s government to improve human rights under Saudi’s Vision 2030.
Turning to the situation in Israel and Gaza, the Prime Minister updated on his view of the situation and welcomed the Crown Prince’s reflection on how the suffering on all sides could be ended.
It was also vital there was an acceleration of aid into Gaza, the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister invited the Crown Prince to the UK, and said he hoped the leaders would be able to watch a game of football in between meetings if he took up the offer.
(3) Oman
The Prime Minister welcomed the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik al Said, to Downing Street this morning.
The Prime Minister began by highlighting the historic relationship between the UK and Oman, noting the special friendship, spanning over 400 years.
The leaders discussed the broad areas of cooperation between their two countries, including defence, security and trade, which they both looked forward to strengthening.
Turning to the situation in the Middle East, the Prime Minister emphasised the clear and urgent the need for de-escalation and urged all parties in the region to exercise restraint.
On Gaza, The Prime Minister reiterated the need for a ceasefire, the return of hostages and an immediate increase in the volume of humanitarian aid reaching civilians. Both agreed on the need for a two-state solution through a peace process.
They looked forward to working closely together in the future.
(4) The United Arab Emirates
The Prime Minister met His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi this morning.
The Prime Minister thanked His Highness for inviting him to the United Arab Emirates and emphasised the long-standing and wide-ranging partnership between the two countries.
The Prime Minister and His Highness shared their perspectives on the evolving situation in Syria. The Prime Minister welcomed His Highness’s reflections on how to achieve stability in the wider region against the broader geopolitical backdrop.
Turning to the bilateral relationship, they agreed on the untapped potential in areas such as artificial intelligence, and a joint desire to build on existing cooperation in defence and security.
They also discussed a shared ambition for greater investment and trade, building on the close personal ties between the British and Emirati people.
The Prime Minister thanked His Highness for his hospitality, and said he hoped to be able to reciprocate during a visit to the UK in the future.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the proportion of oil imports transported through the Strait of Hormuz in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Just under 12 per cent of UK oil imports originated in Kuwait (7.5 per cent), Saudi Arabia (2.5 per cent), and the United Arab Emirates (1.6 per cent) in January to April 2025 (Energy Trends, Table 3.14), similar to 2023 and 2024. The Strait of Hormuz is the primary export route for these countries. Imports were predominantly of jet fuel and white diesel.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the execution of Turki al-Jasser, and about the reported increase in executions, including for non-violent offences.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights and officials in our Embassy in Riyadh have raised Turki Al-Jasser's case with the Saudi authorities. The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what level of representation they intend to send to the UN High Level Conference on the two-state solution on 17–20 June.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The two-state solution Conference has been postponed following military escalation in the region. We remain deeply committed to a two-state solution which remains the only way to guarantee security, dignity and a just and lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. We will continue to work closely with France, Saudi Arabia and others to make the conference a success when it is re-scheduled.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabia counterpart on increasing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As part of our continuous engagement at all levels with Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Secretary spoke with Foreign Minister His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Gaza and the humanitarian crisis on 10 May.