Stop Arming Saudi

Over a £billion of UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year.

Jan 2023 Oxfam report published showing during the 14-month period between January 2021 and the end of February 2022, there were 1,727 attacks on civilians in Yemen’s war by the Saudi-led coalition; weapons supplied by the UK and the US, being responsible for a quarter of all attacks. The report said the analysed attacks killed at least 839 civilians and wounded 1,775 others. Of all the attacks by the Saudi-led coalition during the 14-month period, airstrikes alone killed at least 87 civilians and wounded 136, the report found. The rest of the attacks were artillery, missiles and drone attacks, as well as from land mines, road bombs and light arms.  see https://rogermckenzie.substack.com/p/uk-and-us-funded-weapons-fuel-the

The Saudi-led bombing of Yemen began in March 2015, since then

• The UN has estimated that the war in Yemen has killed 377,000 people by the end of 2021, through direct and indirect causes.
• Nearly 15,000 civilians have been killed by direct military action, most of them in air strikes by the Saudi-led Coalition,
• with homes and farms, schools and hospitals, weddings and funerals targeted.  Arms sales in these circumstances are prohibited by UK rules, which say they should not be allowed where there is a “clear risk” that a weapon “might” be used in a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.
• The UK has licensed more than £6.8 billion of arms sales to Saudi Arabia since the bombing began – but the real level of exports is a great deal higher than the published figures.
• The UK’s biggest arms company, BAE Systems, has made £17.5 billion in revenue from services and sales to Saudi Arabia.

The UK is on the wrong side of history: urgent action is needed to end this deadly conflict.

The UK government must end arms sales for use in the war on Yemen, increase resources to end the humanitarian crisis created by the war, and support efforts to build a sustainable peace.

[source https://caat.org.uk/ ]

2023 figures will appear here United Kingdom strategic export controls annual report – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

£1.143 billion of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia in 2022 (more than 4x sales in 2021):

aerial target equipment
air defence systems
air-to-surface missiles
aircraft military communications equipment
assault rifles
assault rifles
ballistic test equipment
blank/inert ammunition
body armour
body armour
bomb suits
command/control equipment for unmanned air vehicles
components for aerial target equipment
components for assault rifles
components for attack alerting/warning equipment
components for ballistic test equipment
components for body armour
components for body armour
components for bomb suits
components for bombs
components for combat aircraft
components for combat aircraft
components for combat naval vessels
components for electronic countermeasure equipment
components for electronic warfare equipment
components for launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
components for machine guns
components for military aero-engines
components for military aircraft ground equipment
components for military aircraft head-up/down displays
components for military communications equipment
components for military equipment for initiating explosives
components for military helicopters
components for military improvised explosive device decoying/detection/disposal/jamming equipment
components for military scenario simulation equipment
components for military scenario simulation equipment
components for military support aircraft
components for military training aircraft
components for military training aircraft
components for military training equipment
components for munitions/ordnance detection/disposal equipment
components for munitions/ordnance detection/disposal equipment
components for NBC detection equipment
components for pistols
components for rangefinding equipment
components for sniper rifles
components for sniper rifles
components for sporting guns
components for sporting guns
components for targeting equipment
components for targeting equipment
components for turrets
components for unmanned air vehicles
components for weapon control equipment
decoying/countermeasure equipment
devices containing military pyrotechnic materials
electronic countermeasure equipment
electronic warfare equipment
environmental test facilities for military aero-engines
equipment for the production of launching/handling/control equipment for munitions
equipment for the production of military aircraft head-up/down displays
equipment for the production of military training aircraft
equipment for the use of aerial target equipment
equipment for the use of electronic countermeasure equipment
equipment for the use of launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
equipment for the use of military aircraft head-up/down displays
equipment for the use of military communications equipment
equipment for the use of military equipment for initiating explosives
equipment for the use of military guidance/navigation equipment
equipment for the use of military image recording/processing equipment
equipment for the use of multi-role missiles
equipment for the use of targeting equipment
general military aircraft components
global navigation satellite systems jamming equipment
goods treated for signature suppression for military use
gun silencers
launching/handling/control equipment for man portable air defence system missiles
launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
machine guns
man portable air defence systems training equipment
military aircraft ground equipment
military aircraft head-up/down displays
military aircrew safety equipment
military combat vehicles
military communications equipment
military electronic equipment
military electronic equipment
military equipment for initiating explosives
military guidance/navigation equipment
military helmets
military helmets
military image intensifier equipment
military improvised explosive device decoying/detection/disposal/jamming equipment
military infrared/thermal imaging equipment
military radars
military scenario simulation equipment
military support aircraft
military support vehicles
military training aircraft
military training equipment
multi-role missiles
munitions/ordnance detection/disposal equipment
munitions/ordnance detection/disposal equipment
NBC detection equipment
NBC protective/defensive equipment
pistols
signalling devices
small arms ammunition
sniper rifles
sniper rifles
sniper rifles
software enabling equipment to function as global navigation satellite systems jamming equipment
software for air-to-air missiles
software for air-to-surface missiles
software for combat aircraft
software for launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
software for military aircraft ground equipment
software for military training equipment
software for modelling/simulating military operation scenarios
software for multi-role missiles
software for targeting equipment
software for training air-to-air missiles
software for unmanned air vehicles
sporting guns
sporting guns
targeting equipment
targeting equipment
technology for aerial target equipment
technology for air-to-air missiles
technology for air-to-surface missiles
technology for bombs
technology for combat aircraft
technology for combat naval vessels
technology for electronic countermeasure equipment
technology for equipment for the use of aerial target equipment
technology for global navigation satellite systems jamming equipment
technology for launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
technology for launching/handling/control equipment for multi-role missiles
technology for man portable air defence systems
technology for military aero-engines
technology for military aircraft ground equipment
technology for military radars
technology for military scenario simulation equipment
technology for military training aircraft
technology for military training equipment
technology for multi-role missiles
technology for sniper rifles
technology for surface launched rockets
technology for surface-to-air missiles
technology for training air-to-air missiles
technology for unmanned air vehicles
technology for weapon control equipment
training small arms ammunition
training small arms ammunition
unfinished products for combat aircraft
weapon control equipment
weapon night sights
weapon sights
civil NBC protection equipment
civil riot control agent protection equipment
components for civil NBC protection equipment
components for NBC protective/defensive equipment
imaging cameras
military communications equipment
military helmets
military laser protection equipment
NBC protective/defensive equipment

£243 million of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia in 2021:

accessories for military image intensifier equipment
aircraft military communications equipment
anti-armour ammunition
assault rifles
body armour
body armour
bomb suits
command communications control and intelligence software
components for ballistic test equipment
components for body armour
components for bomb suits
components for bombs
components for combat aircraft
components for electronic warfare equipment
components for ground vehicle military communications equipment
components for launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
components for launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
components for launching/handling/control equipment for munitions
components for military aero-engines
components for military aircraft ground equipment
components for military combat vehicles
components for military communications equipment
components for military equipment for initiating explosives
components for military improvised explosive device decoying/detection/disposal/jamming equipment
components for military radars
components for military support aircraft
components for military training aircraft
components for multi-role missiles
components for munitions/ordnance detection/disposal equipment
components for rangefinding equipment
components for targeting equipment
components for turrets
crowd control ammunition
electronic warfare equipment
energetic materials additives
environmental test facilities for military aero-engines
equipment for the production of bombs
equipment for the production of combat aircraft
equipment for the production of military training aircraft
equipment for the use of artillery
equipment for the use of military aircrew safety equipment
equipment for the use of rangefinding equipment
equipment for the use of rangefinding equipment
equipment for the use of targeting equipment
general military aircraft components
general military vehicle components
general naval vessel components
global navigation satellite systems jamming equipment
ground vehicle military communications equipment
hand grenades
illuminators
inert multi-role missiles
launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
launching/handling/control equipment for munitions
machine guns
man portable air defence system missiles
military aircraft ground equipment
military aircrew safety equipment
military combat vehicles
military communications equipment
military electronic equipment
military equipment for initiating explosives
military guidance/navigation equipment
military helmets
military helmets
military image intensifier equipment
military image intensifier equipment
military infrared/thermal imaging equipment
military training equipment
munitions/ordnance detection/disposal equipment
naval communications equipment
NBC protective/defensive equipment
pistols
rangefinding equipment
signalling devices
smoke/pyrotechnic ammunition
sniper rifles
software enabling equipment to function as military communications equipment
software for air-to-surface missiles
software for ballistic test equipment
software for launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
software for man portable air defence system missiles
software for man portable air defence systems training equipment
software for military training aircraft
software for military training equipment
software for modelling/simulating military operation scenarios
software for modelling/simulating/evaluating weapon systems
software for rangefinding equipment
software for targeting equipment
software for weapon control equipment
targeting equipment
targeting equipment
tear gas/irritant ammunition
tear gas/riot control agents
technology for air-to-surface missiles
technology for artillery
technology for bombs
technology for combat aircraft
technology for combat naval vessels
technology for command communications control and intelligence software
technology for launching/handling/control equipment for missiles
technology for man portable air defence system missiles
technology for man portable air defence systems training equipment
technology for military aero-engines
technology for military training aircraft
technology for military training equipment
technology for software enabling equipment to function as military communications equipment
technology for targeting equipment
technology for weapon control equipment
turrets
weapon control equipment
weapon night sights
weapon sights
assault rifles
civil NBC protection clothing
civil NBC protection equipment
civil riot control agent protection equipment
components for assault rifles
components for bombs
components for civil NBC protection equipment
components for civil riot control agent protection equipment
components for NBC protective/defensive equipment
direct view imaging equipment
imaging cameras
military communications equipment
military diving apparatus
military helmets
military laser protection equipment
NBC protective/defensive equipment
rebreathing swimming equipment
technology for bombs
thyristors
weapon night sights
weapon sights

[source https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-statistics-quarterly-reports]

The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) https://caat.org.uk/and Mwatana for Human Rights, a grassroots organisation working in Yemen, have been jointly nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for our work to stop UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This nomination recognises the remarkable dedication of Mwatana, a group documenting human rights violations by all parties to the war and raising the voices of Yemeni people in exceptionally dangerous circumstances. But it’s also a tribute to you. If you have ever signed a petition, shared on social media, written to your MP, made a donation, or any other action, you have helped to make this happen – thank you.

Record UK arms sales resumed in July 2020, despite UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia being declared unlawful, in a historic judgment from the Court of Appeal in June 2019. The case is going to the High court next.

£52,074,826 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Oct-Dec 2020 including components for bombs and combat aircraft, ammunition, missiles and global navigation satellite systems jamming equipment

£1,394,092,787 RECORD quarterly UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia July-Sept 2020 including air-to-air missiles. air-to-surface missiles, drone equipment and technology for bombs

£8,797,018 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Apr-June 2020

£17,489,031 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Jan-Mar 2020

The UK government’s appeal to the Supreme Court will be heard between 23-25 November 2020. The government is challenging the Court of Appeal’s 2019 ruling that all new UK licences for the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen must be halted and all existing licences be reviewed.

Despite the Court of Appeal’s 2019 decision, the UK government and UK arms manufacturers have continued to supply weapons to the Saudi regime, profiting from the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Please help us to stop them and ensure that UK-made fighter jets and missiles can no longer be used in violation of international humanitarian law and in the destruction of Yemen and its people.

Political pressure is vital now to ensure arms sales are actually stopped. The latest six months of published sales by the government showa significant drop over over 99% on the previos six month’s stockpiling sales

Please email your MP today: www.caat.org.uk/unlawful

UK-made weapons are being used in Saudi Arabia’s devastating bombing in Yemen, and the government continues to license further arms exports – despite overwhelming evidence of repeated breaches of international humanitarian law.

The UK’s continued supply of arms to Saudi Arabia during its bombing campaign in Yemen is a flagrant breach of UK arms export regulation.
The UK government admits that Saudi Arabia is using UK weapons in its attacks on Yemen: warplanes, bombs and missiles – but it has repeatedly ignored and denied evidence of violations of international law.

The government consistently puts arms sale sales promotion before human lives and has stopped at nothing to keep the weapons flowing to Saudi Arabia. We have been supplying Saudi-led attacks on Yemen since March 2015 backed by UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.

latest Government figures for arms exports to all countries

Campaign Against Arms Trade – Stop Arming Saudi:

lobby your MP https://www.caat.org.uk/get-involved/act-now/lobby/saudi-lobby

£430,200 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Oct-Dec 2019

£581,894 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia July-Sept 2019

£810,521 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Apr-June 2019

£636,352,815 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia  Jan-Mar 2019 including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, combat aircraft, equipment for the production of bombs

£11,414,054 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia  Oct-Dec 2018

£1,609,047 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia  July-Sept 2018

£5,385,560  of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Apr-June 2018

£41,557,626 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Jan-Mar 2018

£5,894,639 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Oct-Dec 2017

£6,792,688 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia  July-Sept 2017

£836,003,008 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Apr-June 2017 mainly air-to-air missiles

£280,888,523 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Jan-Mar 2017 including combat aircraft, projectile launchers and sniper rifles

£2,021,696 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia Oct-Dec 2016 including “components for BOMBS”

£4,351,143 of UK arms exported to Saudi Arabia  July-Sept 2016 including sniper rifles, weapon night sights, components for assault rifles and for bombs, body armour, military helmets and components for combat aircraft, naval vessels, military aircraft and artillery. £44,659,081 of arms was sold to UAE; £3,988,531 to Jordan; £1,469,876 to Qatar; £1,183,11 to Kuwait, £172,846 to Egypt, £155,458 to Bahrain.

Britain exported £16,920 of improvised explosive device disposal equipment to Yemen.

Apr-June 2016 Britain exported £5,505,848 of arms to Saudi Arabia and Britain exported NO arms to Yemen

Jan – March 2016 Britain exported
£526,300,414 of arms to Saudi Arabia  
£ 55,596,907 to UAE
£ 4,629,739 to Jordan
£ 2,822,849 to Bahrain
£ 2,894,919 to Kuwait
£ 2,771,296 to Qatar
£ 1,515,525 to Egypt
Britain exported £248,700 of body armour and military helmets to Yemen.

Oct- Dec 2015 Britain exported £6,672,755 of arms to Saudi Arabia. Britain exported NO arms to Yemen

July-Sept 2015 Britain exported £1,080,855,244 of arms to Saudi Arabia including “air-to-air missiles, body armour, bombs, components for combat helicopters gun silencers, weapon night sights”. Britain exported NO arms to Yemen

April – June 2015 Britain exported £1,724,085,176 of arms to Saudi Arabia and NO arms to Yemen

Jan-March 2015 Britain exported £31,209,137 of arms to Saudi Arabia. Britain exported £27,222 of arms to Yemen

There are UN reports of Saudi war crimes committed against the civilian population of Yemen. Thousands of people have died, over 14 million Yemeni people are going hungry, and around 1.8 million children are out of school. A thousand schools have been damaged beyond use in the course of the bombing, which is ongoing.