UK: Ties with Saudi Arabia are deep-rooted, strong

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Monday 02 Nov 2015 - 13:04 Makkah mean time-20-1-1437 (Image from AP) Manama, (IINA) - British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday that the UK’s working ties with Saudi Arabia are deep-rooted and strong despite media reports of tensions between the two countries, Al-Arabiya reported. Speaking to Al-Arabiya News after the conclusion of the 11th annual International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue, Hammond described the status of British-Saudi relations as “business as usual”. The UK has abolished a £5.9 million prisons contract that would have provided a "training needs analysis" for Saudi prison service staff. Also in recent weeks, observers have noticed intensified critical coverage of Saudi Arabia by some British media outlets, in which some pundits had repeatedly called for further cancellations of business contracts and a revision of the long-term relationship between the two countries. In response, Saudi Ambassador to the UK Prince Mohammed bin Nawwaf wrote an article in The Daily Telegraph warning of an “alarming change” in Britain's attitude toward Saudi Arabia after what he described as “breaches in mutual respect”. On his part, Hammond explained that Justice Secretary Michael Gove had made a decision not to continue the process because he did not want to divert resources from his department to overseas work. Hammond emphasized that the British-Saudi relationship is “deep-rooted and broad-ranging”, adding that such a relation will “not be brought down by one small contract that we decided we couldn’t go ahead with”. “It is business as usual, and the reason we do business together is because it’s in our mutual best interest. We support each other in security, we work together on cyber, counter-terrorism, defense collaboration, we support each other’s security, supported the Saudi-led coalition in its actions in defense of the Yemeni government", he added. During his speech at the Manama Dialogue, Hammond reiterated his country’s commitment to ensuring Gulf security, and his government’s determination to combat violent extremism at home, arguing that there should be no tolerance for intolerance. AG/IINA