Air defence parts can be returned to Saudi Arabia, says Swiss ministry
Saudi warplanes fly over the capital Riyadh during a graduation ceremony in 2009
Keystone / Hassan Ammar
Parts for Saudi Arabia’s air defence systems, which have been maintained and repaired in Switzerland, can be re-exported back to the Gulf state, the Swiss economics ministry says.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
In October 2018, the economics ministry temporarily blocked the re-exportation of spare parts and assembly pieces for Saudi Arabia’s air defence systems which had been repaired in Switzerland, together with new parts.
The ban was introduced by the Federal Council (executive body) following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey, last October.
The preventive step was taken by Switzerland while awaiting decisions by the United Nations and the European Union towards Saudi Arabia regarding the Khashoggi controversy, the ministry said.
On Wednesday, the head of the economics ministry informed the government that there was no legal basis to support the Swiss decision and that it planned to lift the export ban.
“The lack of a legal basis for the decision not to re-export made it de facto a measure confiscating property owned by Saudi Arabia,” the ministry said in a statementExternal link.
All requests for the export of war materials are checked by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) on a case by case basis, together with the foreign ministry.
In accordance with a government decision from April 2016, export requests where there is a high risk the items may be used to violate human rights or in the ongoing Yemen conflict are systematically refused, the economics ministry said.
Controversial issue
The issue of exporting war materials is sensitive in Switzerland. In October 2018, the government abandoned newly-hatched plans to ease Swiss weapons exports following public outcry. Parliament has also been debating the issue of stricter controls for arms exports, while a people’s initiative to prevent the Swiss government from relaxing rules for exports to conflict-ridden states is pending.
Thursday’s development comes just a week after the Swiss foreign ministry banned the aircraft manufacturer Pilatus from operating in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pilatus has previous helped Saudi Arabia with the maintenance of military training aircraft.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss food giant Nestlé to invest millions in Nescafé in Spain
This content was published on
The Swiss multinational is to invest €15 million (CHF14.3 million) in its Nescafé factory, which produces instant coffee and Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules, in Girona near Barcelona.
This content was published on
Malfunctions led to a worldwide outage of the social media platform X several times on Monday, affecting users in Switzerland and elsewhere.
This content was published on
The Swiss bank UBS was fined €75,000 (CHF71,410), the maximum penalty, in Paris on Monday for moral harassment by its French subsidiary of two whistleblowers.
Nearly 50 wolves killed in eastern Switzerland over five-month period
This content was published on
Wildlife wardens in the eastern canton of Graubünden, together with hunters, shot 48 wolves between September 2024 and January 2025, authorities said on Monday.
Top Swiss court approves appeal against asbestos ruling
This content was published on
The Glarus high court must re-examine an asbestos case, after the Federal Court approved the request for a revision of its decision by the family of Marcel Jann.
Swiss singer Zoë Më unveils song ‘Voyage’ for 2025 Eurovision contest
This content was published on
Singer-songwriter Zoë Më, who will represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, unveiled her ballad Voyage on Monday.
Switzerland’s image at stake in current multilateralism crisis, says Geneva politician
This content was published on
The Swiss government's reaction to the current crisis in multilateralism is not congruent with what is at stake for International Geneva, says the head of the Geneva Government.
This content was published on
At the stroke of 4am on Monday, the street lights went out in Basel's city center for the carnival kick-off, known as Morgenstreich.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Aircraft company banned from providing services to Saudi Arabia
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry has banned the aircraft manufacturer Pilatus from operating in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Switzerland calls for fair trial in case of slain Saudi journalist
This content was published on
The call came as the UN Human Rights Council met in Geneva to hear a special rapporteur's findings on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.