Germany Extends Arms Embargo on Saudi Arabia

By Staff, Agencies 

The German government has extended its arms embargo on Saudi Arabia.

According to DW, the German government had approved an extension of the arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, which will now last until December 31, 2020. 

This decision marks the third extension to the arms embargo, which was initially enacted in late 2018 after the killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated by Saudi agents inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2018.

Berlin has also pointed to the situation in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a devastating war against the most improvised Middle Eastern country.

The Saudi military, particularly the Air Force, has made extensive use of Western-supplied systems in carrying out its campaign in Yemen, leading to backlash from governments and activists in the West. 

However, a number of European arms suppliers have cut arms sales to Saudi Arabia. In addition to Germany, other countries like Switzerland, Finland, Norway, and Denmark cut sales. The German ban has proved to be problematic for the Saudi military, as the country’s industry produces many of the components found in existing systems in the Saudi inventory as well as weapons platforms that Riyadh has been negotiating to buy, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Last month, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud sought unsuccessfully to persuade Germany to lift its ban. He said in an interview with DPA International, “We hope that Germany understands that we need the means to defend ourselves.” He added that Germany’s refusal to lift the ban is inconsistent with ensuring positive relations between the two countries.