Rights Groups Urge UK to Tie Gulf Trade Deal to Human Rights Protections

Rights Groups Urge UK to Tie Gulf Trade Deal to Human Rights Protections
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Fourteen human rights organizations and labor unions—including SANAD and Human Rights Watch—have urged the UK government to include binding human rights safeguards in its upcoming free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

In a joint letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, the coalition expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the negotiation process. They warned that omitting human rights protections could expose British companies to complicity in serious abuses, particularly against migrant workers.

Samir Al-Shamrani, operations director at SANAD, stated that human rights remain a low priority for GCC states, especially Saudi Arabia. He cautioned that overlooking these violations for economic interests risks legitimizing double standards that undermine justice and freedom.

The letter criticized Gulf nations for their systematic failure to protect millions of migrant workers and highlighted ongoing abuses linked to major projects like Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, including forced displacement and arrests.

The coalition called for:
• Independent human rights and environmental impact assessments
• Exclusion of investor-state dispute mechanisms
• Enforceable obligations for companies
• Transparent oversight and accountability mechanisms

They also questioned the reliability of local advisory groups, citing widespread repression in the region that hinders effective civil society monitoring.