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France, Saudi Arabia deepen alliance with 10B euros in deals
By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI and AYA BATRAWY5 hours ago
.
View gallery
Valls, who announced the deals on his official Twitter account, is in Saudi Arabia with a large delegation of French business representatives and top officials, including Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
France's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the deal includes the start of negotiations to provide Saudi Arabia with its own communication and observation satellites — something the kingdom has been coveting as it expands its regional military reach and fights a war against Shiite rebels in Yemen.
The two sides also signed deals in Riyadh for $2 billion worth of Saudi public investment in French private funds with a focus on renewable energy and signed a letter of intent for cooperation in that sector. They also signed a cooperation agreement to establish a naval research center and to increase joint military training exercises.
The two countries agreed to hold another joint session in Paris next March.
The visit to Saudi Arabia is part of a regional tour that included stops in Jordan and Egypt, where a $1.1 billion deal for two French Mistral amphibious assault ships was signed.
The French delegation, which arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, held talks with King Salman, Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the capital, Riyadh.
View gallery
In this image released by the Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Saudi's Second Deputy Prime Minister and …
A French official, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to the media, says a military helicopter deal is also expected to be signed in Riyadh. In June, Saudi Arabia signed agreements worth billions of dollars to buy 23 helicopters for the Interior Ministry, 50 Airbus jets and two possible nuclear reactors from France.
The alliance between France and Saudi Arabia has grown stronger in recent years as ties between Washington and Riyadh cooled under President Barack Obama, particularly following his administration's strong backing of a nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers.
Though France was a part of the nuclear negotiations, its position has more strongly reflected Saudi concerns that the deal could bolster Iran's influence in the region if economic sanctions are not lifted gradually. Iran and Saudi Arabia back opposite sides in the civil war in Syria.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said in a press conference Tuesday with his French counterpart "there is no future" for President Bashar Assad in Syria, who is backed by Iran and Russia.
Valls, meanwhile, also met Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company — which owns or manages several iconic landmarks in France, including The Four Seasons Hotel George V and the Le Royal Monceau Hotel.
The French delegation additionally took part in a business forum. According to Saudi media, France is the third largest investor in Saudi Arabia and has more than 80 companies operating in the kingdom, employing around 11,000 Saudi nationals.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to diversify its economy away from oil and to create more jobs in the private sector for its growing young population. A slump in oil prices has gutted the kingdom's most important source of revenue, forcing it to run a budget deficit and draw from its large foreign currency reserves.
John Sfakianakis, the Middle East director for British fund manager Ashmore Group, participated in the Saudi-French business forum and said it was more than just "empty words."
"It's actually based on contracts that will materialize," he said. "The Saudi-French business ties are very deep and old, and quite extensive and cover many sectors ranking from defense, security, health care, retail, food sector. It's very important for Saudi's diversification efforts."
The visit to Saudi Arabia comes after Paris expanded its airstrikes against the Islamic State group by targeting IS militants in Syria last month for the first time. France had previously targeted IS militants in Iraq, where the group also holds territory. France and Saudi Arabia are both part of the U.S.-led coalition bombing IS.
The strong alliance between France and Saudi Arabia was highlighted in May when French President Francois Hollande met with the heads of state of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh for a meeting in his honor. And in November, France and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to provide the Lebanese army with $3 billion worth of weapons paid for by Riyadh. The Lebanese military is widely considered much weaker than the Shiite Hezbollah militant group, which is armed and funded by Iran.
___
Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
France, Saudi Arabia deepen alliance with 10B euros in deals - Yahoo News
Well done to France @Gabriel92 ,
meanwhile we are stuck on:
Britain drops Saudi prisons contract bid after outcry
By Katherine Haddon7 hours ago
.
View gallery
"The government has decided that it won't be proceeding with the bid," Prime Minister David Cameron's spokeswoman told reporters.
The potential contract was worth £5.9 million ($9 million, 7.9 million euro).
Downing Street insisted the decision was separate from the case of the reportedly frail grandfather Karl Andree, who has been told he could face 350 lashes in public after serving a year behind bars for being caught with home-made wine.
The spokeswoman said the move was linked to the winding up of Just Solutions International, a commercial offshoot of the Ministry of Justice.
- Government 'U-turn'? -
Britain's ties to Saudi Arabia have come under greater scrutiny in recent months as concerns mount over human rights, including Saudi plans to crucify pro-democracy activist Mohammed al-Nimr and flog prominent blogger Raif Badawi.
Saudi Arabia is Britain's most important trade partner in the Middle East and was its biggest market for arms exports last year.
In an unusual move, Britain's new opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn used his first party conference speech last month to call on Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene on behalf of Nimr, who was sentenced to death at the age of 17 for joining an anti-government demonstration.
In another sign of tensions over Saudi Arabia, newspapers reported Tuesday on a rare split within the ruling Conservative Party over ties with the kingdom.
View gallery
Saudi Arabia's legal code is based on Islamic sharia law (AFP Photo/Taha Saleh)
The Times said Justice Secretary Michael Gove wanted to pull out of the prison training deal agreed by his predecessor, but Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond thought it would make Britain look untrustworthy to a key ally.
Gove told parliament on Tuesday that even though the bid had been dropped Britain would continue to work closely with Saudi Arabia.
"There is security cooperation between Britain and Saudi Arabia that has saved British lives in the past.
"While we would never compromise our commitment to human rights... we should continue with the necessary security cooperation with the Saudi government," Gove said.
He added that the government had "profound concerns" about human rights in Saudi Arabia, but that Britain must be allowed to use diplomacy to make progress on the issue.
"David Cameron has been shamed into a U-turn on this terrible contract, but why on Earth was it set up in the first place?" said Labour leader Corbyn.
- 'Enough is enough' -
The Downing Street spokeswoman said Andree's sentence was "extremely concerning" and Cameron was "writing today to the Saudis to further raise the case".
There has been a "gradual stepping up of government activity" on the issue, she said.
Andree's family said they welcomed Cameron's intervention after they appealed for clemency.
"He's done his time now; he should be released. This lashing sentence -- we fear, because of his age, he won't survive it," his son, Simon, told BBC radio.
"He's a frail old man... enough is enough."
He had implored Cameron to intervene personally, but feared his father was "at the bottom of the list".
"I feel that all the business dealings with Saudi Arabia and the UK are probably taking priority," he said.
The Sun -- Britain's most widely read newspaper -- carried the story on its front page.
It said that despite having served his sentence, Andree was still in jail as Saudi officials wait to carry out the flogging.
The grandfather of seven, who has already survived cancer, has lived in Saudi Arabia for 25 years, working in the oil industry.
Britain drops Saudi prisons contract bid after outcry - Yahoo News
WTF is our business in seeking the release of a Saudi citizen behind death rows/bars? Their country their laws. When we intervene their very own citizens will start chanting anti British slogans about how imperialistic/evil we are. We should just stick to doing business like the French and let them manage their own internal affairs. But i know our liberal 'human rights' activists will be the first to cry foul and plead with our government to keep interfering to save these Muslim citizens from their own government 'oppression'or for human 'rights reasons'.
By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI and AYA BATRAWY5 hours ago
.
View gallery
.
Valls, who announced the deals on his official Twitter account, is in Saudi Arabia with a large delegation of French business representatives and top officials, including Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
France's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the deal includes the start of negotiations to provide Saudi Arabia with its own communication and observation satellites — something the kingdom has been coveting as it expands its regional military reach and fights a war against Shiite rebels in Yemen.
The two sides also signed deals in Riyadh for $2 billion worth of Saudi public investment in French private funds with a focus on renewable energy and signed a letter of intent for cooperation in that sector. They also signed a cooperation agreement to establish a naval research center and to increase joint military training exercises.
The two countries agreed to hold another joint session in Paris next March.
The visit to Saudi Arabia is part of a regional tour that included stops in Jordan and Egypt, where a $1.1 billion deal for two French Mistral amphibious assault ships was signed.
The French delegation, which arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, held talks with King Salman, Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the capital, Riyadh.
View gallery
In this image released by the Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Saudi's Second Deputy Prime Minister and …
A French official, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to the media, says a military helicopter deal is also expected to be signed in Riyadh. In June, Saudi Arabia signed agreements worth billions of dollars to buy 23 helicopters for the Interior Ministry, 50 Airbus jets and two possible nuclear reactors from France.
The alliance between France and Saudi Arabia has grown stronger in recent years as ties between Washington and Riyadh cooled under President Barack Obama, particularly following his administration's strong backing of a nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers.
Though France was a part of the nuclear negotiations, its position has more strongly reflected Saudi concerns that the deal could bolster Iran's influence in the region if economic sanctions are not lifted gradually. Iran and Saudi Arabia back opposite sides in the civil war in Syria.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said in a press conference Tuesday with his French counterpart "there is no future" for President Bashar Assad in Syria, who is backed by Iran and Russia.
Valls, meanwhile, also met Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company — which owns or manages several iconic landmarks in France, including The Four Seasons Hotel George V and the Le Royal Monceau Hotel.
The French delegation additionally took part in a business forum. According to Saudi media, France is the third largest investor in Saudi Arabia and has more than 80 companies operating in the kingdom, employing around 11,000 Saudi nationals.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to diversify its economy away from oil and to create more jobs in the private sector for its growing young population. A slump in oil prices has gutted the kingdom's most important source of revenue, forcing it to run a budget deficit and draw from its large foreign currency reserves.
John Sfakianakis, the Middle East director for British fund manager Ashmore Group, participated in the Saudi-French business forum and said it was more than just "empty words."
"It's actually based on contracts that will materialize," he said. "The Saudi-French business ties are very deep and old, and quite extensive and cover many sectors ranking from defense, security, health care, retail, food sector. It's very important for Saudi's diversification efforts."
The visit to Saudi Arabia comes after Paris expanded its airstrikes against the Islamic State group by targeting IS militants in Syria last month for the first time. France had previously targeted IS militants in Iraq, where the group also holds territory. France and Saudi Arabia are both part of the U.S.-led coalition bombing IS.
The strong alliance between France and Saudi Arabia was highlighted in May when French President Francois Hollande met with the heads of state of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh for a meeting in his honor. And in November, France and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to provide the Lebanese army with $3 billion worth of weapons paid for by Riyadh. The Lebanese military is widely considered much weaker than the Shiite Hezbollah militant group, which is armed and funded by Iran.
___
Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
France, Saudi Arabia deepen alliance with 10B euros in deals - Yahoo News
Well done to France @Gabriel92 ,
meanwhile we are stuck on:
Britain drops Saudi prisons contract bid after outcry
By Katherine Haddon7 hours ago
.
View gallery
.
"The government has decided that it won't be proceeding with the bid," Prime Minister David Cameron's spokeswoman told reporters.
The potential contract was worth £5.9 million ($9 million, 7.9 million euro).
Downing Street insisted the decision was separate from the case of the reportedly frail grandfather Karl Andree, who has been told he could face 350 lashes in public after serving a year behind bars for being caught with home-made wine.
The spokeswoman said the move was linked to the winding up of Just Solutions International, a commercial offshoot of the Ministry of Justice.
- Government 'U-turn'? -
Britain's ties to Saudi Arabia have come under greater scrutiny in recent months as concerns mount over human rights, including Saudi plans to crucify pro-democracy activist Mohammed al-Nimr and flog prominent blogger Raif Badawi.
Saudi Arabia is Britain's most important trade partner in the Middle East and was its biggest market for arms exports last year.
In an unusual move, Britain's new opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn used his first party conference speech last month to call on Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene on behalf of Nimr, who was sentenced to death at the age of 17 for joining an anti-government demonstration.
In another sign of tensions over Saudi Arabia, newspapers reported Tuesday on a rare split within the ruling Conservative Party over ties with the kingdom.
View gallery
Saudi Arabia's legal code is based on Islamic sharia law (AFP Photo/Taha Saleh)
The Times said Justice Secretary Michael Gove wanted to pull out of the prison training deal agreed by his predecessor, but Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond thought it would make Britain look untrustworthy to a key ally.
Gove told parliament on Tuesday that even though the bid had been dropped Britain would continue to work closely with Saudi Arabia.
"There is security cooperation between Britain and Saudi Arabia that has saved British lives in the past.
"While we would never compromise our commitment to human rights... we should continue with the necessary security cooperation with the Saudi government," Gove said.
He added that the government had "profound concerns" about human rights in Saudi Arabia, but that Britain must be allowed to use diplomacy to make progress on the issue.
"David Cameron has been shamed into a U-turn on this terrible contract, but why on Earth was it set up in the first place?" said Labour leader Corbyn.
- 'Enough is enough' -
The Downing Street spokeswoman said Andree's sentence was "extremely concerning" and Cameron was "writing today to the Saudis to further raise the case".
There has been a "gradual stepping up of government activity" on the issue, she said.
Andree's family said they welcomed Cameron's intervention after they appealed for clemency.
"He's done his time now; he should be released. This lashing sentence -- we fear, because of his age, he won't survive it," his son, Simon, told BBC radio.
"He's a frail old man... enough is enough."
He had implored Cameron to intervene personally, but feared his father was "at the bottom of the list".
"I feel that all the business dealings with Saudi Arabia and the UK are probably taking priority," he said.
The Sun -- Britain's most widely read newspaper -- carried the story on its front page.
It said that despite having served his sentence, Andree was still in jail as Saudi officials wait to carry out the flogging.
The grandfather of seven, who has already survived cancer, has lived in Saudi Arabia for 25 years, working in the oil industry.
Britain drops Saudi prisons contract bid after outcry - Yahoo News
WTF is our business in seeking the release of a Saudi citizen behind death rows/bars? Their country their laws. When we intervene their very own citizens will start chanting anti British slogans about how imperialistic/evil we are. We should just stick to doing business like the French and let them manage their own internal affairs. But i know our liberal 'human rights' activists will be the first to cry foul and plead with our government to keep interfering to save these Muslim citizens from their own government 'oppression'or for human 'rights reasons'.
I dont know how your fellow Pakistani who remained in their own country back home will look at your statement when you are enjoying your life in the very same Kafir Europe you claim to despise.
lol 
They Pakistanis/Indians/Carribean Countries helped Britain off its knees in the time of need & have played a big part in British History after the war more than any other they were invited to come & did not flee as you say .
By a Muslim 
Many members on here(your Pakistani/Muslim brothers included) will agree with me that our media has been doing the opposite for decades, i.e under playing your regime dictatorship and human rights abuses, since we have huge interests in KSA.
