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United Arab Emirates: Arms Trade

Asked by Jeremy CorbynYour PartyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 3 March 2026UIN 908076

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to conduct due diligence when licensing arms transfers to the United Arab Emirates to prevent weapons being used by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer

All export licence applications are assessed for the risk of diversion and are kept under careful and continual review. We have recently reviewed over 2,000 licences for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The risk of diversion is complex and is the single biggest reason export licences are refused. We regularly refuse licences, including to the UAE, for this reason.

We carefully review any reports we receive, but to date, there is no evidence of UK weapons or ammunition being used in Sudan.

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