The UK's Booming Arms Trade With Saudi Arabia

Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) has lost a high-profile case calling for the UK government to cease arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The organization launched a judicial review of British arms exports to Saudi Arabia over concern that the weapons have been used against civilians in Yemen. Earlier today, however, the High Court has ruled that UK government arms sales to the kingdom are lawful.

Over the years, the UK has exported billions of pounds of equipment to Saudi Arabia including Typhoon and Tornado fighter jets and a wide assortment of munitions. The booming trade has helped the UK maintain thousands of engineering jobs as well as contributing billions in revenue to the British arms trade. Saudi Arabia has led a Gulf coalition in a military campaign against a Houthi-led insurgency in Yemen since March 2015 and there have been numerous allegations of war crimes against both sides.