The Crown Prince Couple of Denmark have today arrived in Saudi Arabia along with a number of Danish ministers and representatives of 44 Danish companies and organisations in a bid to promote Denmark’s export interests.
They will spend three days in the oil-rich kingdom.
The business delegation has been heavily-criticised by opposition parties in the Danish Parliament as well as by human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International.
Enhedslisten has called the visit “scandalous” and “problematic” as it believes it will legitimise “a brutal dictatorship that whips democracy activists, beheads governmental opponents and supports Islamic State and other extremists”.
Human rights violations
The international community has repeatedly criticised Saudi Arabia for human rights violations and for escalating the conflict in neighbouring Yemen.
Since 2015, Saudi warplanes have carried out numerous air strikes across the poor Arabic country, during which thousands of Yemeni civilians have been killed and injured.
“I believe the foreign minister [Kristian Jensen] should take up the matter,” Naser Khader (Konservative) told DR.
“The conflict in Yemen is enormously dangerous, so he should encourage Saudi Arabia and its allies among the other Gulf states to exercise moderation.”
Prior to his departure, Jensen said he will address human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, including executions and women’s rights, during his talks with the country’s foreign minister.
