German government announces end of all arms export to Saudi Arabia

The new German government intends to continue stopping arms exports to Saudi Arabia next year, a German news agency has reported.

This came in the German Economy Ministry’s response to inquiries sent to it by the agency on Friday.

The ministry stated that the so-called “Yemen clause” in the ruling coalition agreement, which stipulates the end of permits to export weapons to countries proven to be “directly participating in the Yemen war,” will apply to Saudi Arabia.

However, it remains unclear whether Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, like the previous government of Angela Merkel, will allow exceptions for joint projects with allied countries.

In November 2018, Merkel’s government announced that it had completely halted arms supplies to Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.