Response to interpellation 2025/26:121 on arms exports to the United Arab Emirates
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
M argues that trade with the United Arab Emirates is necessary to promote Swedish interests and values through dialogue 1. M emphasizes that arms exports are tested according to a strict regulatory framework where the authority makes independent decisions 2. M highlights that Sweden has been proactive in sanctioning companies in the United Arab Emirates 3. M argues that it is a serious accusation that the government would not live up to international court decisions 4. M emphasizes that exports are assessed based on defense or security policy reasons 4. MP criticizes that the government does not clearly condemn the United Arab Emirates or set requirements for human rights 5. MP argues that the government allows economic interests to take precedence over human rights 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! Jacob Risberg has asked me questions regarding Swedish arms exports to the United Arab Emirates. Risberg has asked what requirements the government has set for the United Arab Emirates regarding the country's role in the conflict in Sudan and the export of war materiel in violation of the UN arms embargo. He has also asked whether the government intends to make a decision to end the arms exports to UAE.
The civil war in Sudan has created the world's current largest humanitarian crisis with an almost indescribable suffering, and approximately 30 million people are in need of humanitarian aid. The developments in Sudan also have a negative effect on the entire region with increased instability and refugee flows as a consequence.
Sweden contributes significant humanitarian aid to Sudan to reduce the suffering of the civilian population.
The Government urges all external actors, including the United Arab Emirates, to refrain from directly or indirectly exacerbating the Sudanese conflict and instead act constructively and in a coordinated manner to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict. The UN arms embargo against Sudan must be followed. All states have a responsibility to act in accordance with international law.
Sweden has well-functioning relations with the United Arab Emirates, including through recurring political dialogue and trade exchange. Both I and the Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation, Dousa, have during the year raised the civil war in Sudan with our Emirati counterparts and conveyed the government's positions. We view positively that the so-called Quad group, in which the United Arab Emirates is a member, is working together to bring an end to the civil war in Sudan.
Sweden's defense industry and the export of war materiel are necessary for Sweden's ability to maintain a credible defense. The export of Swedish war materiel is tested against a strict regulatory framework established by the Riksdag and the government. The Inspectorate of Strategic Products, ISP, is the supervisory and licensing authority for the export of war materiel. The authority makes a comprehensive assessment in each individual case and makes independent decisions.
The export of war materiel to the United Arab Emirates has in recent years primarily consisted of the airborne radar system Globaleye. It is used for both airspace surveillance and maritime surveillance and carries no armament.
There is no information that Swedish war materiel is being used in Sudan.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! The United Arab Emirates, or UAE as it might be slightly easier to say, has been identified as one of the most important sponsors of the paramilitary force Rapid Support Forces, RSF, in Sudan. This force stands accused of extensive war crimes, including massacres, sexual violence, and displacement of civilians. Several UN reports and human rights organizations have documented how RSF has received war materiel from UAE, entirely in violation of the UN arms embargo.
At the same time, Swedish trade with the UAE has grown. Last year it grew by 7 percent, and the UAE is today a prioritized market for Swedish export interests. The Swedish government has also, through Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, expressed the ambition to further strengthen the economic ties. In an interview with Sveriges Radio, the minister comments on the relationship with the words: "Through trade, we get a political forum where we can discuss things with each other."
The UAE was also the largest importer of weapons from Sweden in 2024, something that we in Miljöpartiet have repeatedly criticized. Although there is no evidence that Swedish-made weapons are used by the RSF, the arms trade clearly contributes to strengthening and legitimizing the regime and the UAE's actions.
It causes concern that the government does not clearly condemn the UAE's role in Sudan or set clear requirements for respect for human rights in trade relations. It is deeply problematic that Sweden's trade ties with the RSF's weapons sponsors are being deepened while the RSF is suspected of committing ethnic cleansing in Darfur.
I therefore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what requirements the Minister has set for the United Arab Emirates regarding the country's role in the conflict in Sudan and the export of war materiel in violation of the UN arms embargo. In light of the terrible war crimes in Sudan over the past week, I also asked whether the government intended to end the arms exports to the United Arab Emirates.
How does the Minister then answer those questions? It begins with the Minister describing the situation. On that, we agree. The situation in Sudan is appalling. There are figures stating that over 400,000 people have been killed in the fighting and that around 30 million are at risk of starving.
The Minister then refers to the highly questioned and hardly independent Quad group, in which the United Arab Emirates in particular are included and are to participate in brokering peace.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs then notes dryly that it is the Inspectorate for Strategic Products that makes a comprehensive assessment in each individual case and makes independent decisions. The Government thus seems to see the problems with the United Arab Emirates' involvement in and financing of war crimes, but washes its hands when it comes to Sweden's arms exports to that war sponsor.
The government is ultimately responsible for Swedish war materiel exports. One cannot shift the blame onto an agency. It is the government that establishes the frameworks and principles for the agency's decision-making.
I ask again whether the government intends to make any decisions regarding the phasing out of arms exports to the United Arab Emirates.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! It is difficult to describe the suffering in Sudan. For just over two and a half years, the war has created the world's currently largest humanitarian crisis, and more people are suffering from hunger in Sudan than in the rest of the world combined. In recent weeks, the government has received reports of terrifying violence against civilians in al-Fashir following the RSF's takeover of the city with great concern. It seems that complete lawlessness prevails. Therefore, it is with all right that the question of how the international community can demand accountability is now raised.
Let me clarify my answer, as Jacob Risberg was obviously not entirely satisfied with the answer I gave. Sweden and the EU have been very clear towards the warring parties that they are obliged to protect civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law. We have also been clear towards external actors, including the United Arab Emirates, about refraining from directly or indirectly aggravating the conflict.
The EU has also sanctioned several companies based in the United Arab Emirates for their involvement in the war in Sudan. Sweden has been proactive here. This concerns, among other things, companies that have facilitated the financing of various armed groups in the conflict.
All states have a responsibility to act in accordance with international law and to ensure that the UN arms embargo is complied with. Sweden and the EU will continue to work to ensure that the embargo is complied with and that it is broadened to apply to the entire country, which was also highlighted in the EU's recently adopted Council conclusions on Sudan.
As the world's fifth largest donor of humanitarian aid to Sudan, Sweden is making a difference for the severely strained civilian population. Sweden's contributions go, among other things, to life-saving food aid, health and medical care, water and sanitation, and to the protection of people on the move. The cooperation with Unicef has contributed to over 100,000 people having gained access to clean drinking water.
I have in other contexts lamented the low interest in the situation in Sudan, both in the media and from a political standpoint. From that perspective, Jacob Risberg's commitment to Sudan is very pleasing and very welcome. The interest in the war in Sudan has previously been far too low even here in the Riksdag.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! I shall begin by answering the Foreign Minister's last question. On a number of occasions when Sudan or the United Arab Emirates have come up in discussions, both here in the chamber and when the Minister has been visiting the committee, I have raised the issue of the UAE's support for Sudan. Over the last two years, we have hardly received any answers on this at all.
It is good that the government and the EU are clear towards the UAE regarding their involvement. But what does clarity help if there is no form of pressure on them? It is required that they are squeezed in some way if they do not do as we say. They obviously continue to violate the UN arms embargo. It is very welcome that there is a desire to extend the UN arms embargo to all of Sudan, but it doesn't matter if the UAE continues to export weapons. We must use the economic means we have to put pressure on the UAE.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs mentioned nothing more about our own arms trade with the UAE, so I thought I might perhaps raise another aspect of the whole, namely what is driving this conflict. Where is the funding coming from, other than from the UAE?
It is about gold. In the Darfur region, which is controlled by RSF, it is primarily small gold mines where people dig with their bare hands – those are the kinds of images we often see from gold mines in Africa – that sponsor RSF's side of the war. On the eastern side, which is controlled by SAF, there are large, industrial gold mines.
Who is it then that is buying all this gold? Well, the United Arab Emirates is buying up almost all the gold from Sudan. It is estimated that 90 percent of the smuggled African gold ends up in the United Arab Emirates. Virtually all gold from Sudan, from both sides, goes to the United Arab Emirates. These are no small sums we are talking about. Over a decade, it is estimated that just the undeclared, that is to say illegal, gold had a value of 115 billion US dollars – gold from among others Sudan that ended up in the United Arab Emirates. This very much resembles the situation we had and talked a lot about a couple of decades ago regarding conflict minerals and especially conflict diamonds, where a great deal of work was done.
I wonder how we are to ensure that we do not continue to trade gold, for example, from the United Arab Emirates? We have, among other things, talked about reaching a free trade agreement between the EU and the United Arab Emirates as quickly as possible.
What is the United Arab Emirates doing more in this conflict? Well, they have smuggled weapons – we have seen and heard about that. It has occurred, among other things, under the Red Cross and Red Crescent flag. They smuggle weapons under the Red Cross and Red Crescent flag, entirely in defiance of international law. They have also contributed mercenaries to this cursed conflict, and they also contribute politically. So, it is not just about contributing weapons, they also contribute mercenaries.
It is the United Arab Emirates that is enabling the war. So I wonder: Will we stop our arms exports? Will the government on Thursday, when you are going to talk about Sudan at the meeting of the Foreign Ministers, push to pause the negotiations on a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates until they comply with the UN arms embargo?
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! When it comes to trade with the United Arab Emirates and other countries in general, the government's line is clear: Trade gives Sweden and the EU better opportunities to promote our interests and values. I look forward to discussing the dreadful situation in Sudan and what the EU can do to put more pressure on both parties and those who in different ways contribute to the warfare in Sudan. It is an important discussion.
The alternative to trade is that countries isolate each other and that we isolate ourselves. Then it is difficult to achieve a constructive dialogue, diplomacy, and political agreements. It is so incredibly easy to just say: "We shall show that we really do not accept this. We shall close our embassy. We shall have nothing to do with this country." But I am completely convinced that is not how you change how other countries act. One must have a dialogue. It can be tough and honest when you have the type of relationship that we have with the United Arab Emirates. Our exchange gives us the opportunity to also raise difficult issues where we do not agree, and that both I and the Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade have done this year.
Let me underline that it is not true that the government is not exerting pressure. Both we and the EU are doing so, not least through sanctions. It is in all countries', including the UAE's, interest to bring an end to this horrific civil war. Let us now hope that the mediation that the quartet, namely the USA, UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, is conducting reaches results. The violence in Sudan must come to an end.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! The Minister says that the alternative to trade would be isolation. But that is not the case – it is not black or white. We already trade today with the United Arab Emirates. The question is rather whether we should trade duty-free with them or not. It is clear that there are economic advantages to the trade agreement that we are currently negotiating through the EU.
The alternative is not isolation. The alternative is to pause the negotiations, just as we usually pause negotiations with, for example, those who want to join the EU but do not meet the conditions we set. Then one can pause the negotiations until they meet those conditions. One can use the negotiations as a tool.
I still wonder how we are going to proceed with the Swedish weapons. Will we continue to export weapons to the United Arab Emirates?
Speaking of trade, the government often says regarding aid that it is not a law of nature to be entitled to a share of Swedish tax funds. But it is also not a law of nature to be entitled to trade duty-free with the EU, and it is no law of nature to be entitled to trade weapons from Sweden.
Madam Speaker! Yesterday I debated Western Sahara and Palestine with Minister Dousa, and today I have debated Sudan and the United Arab Emirates with Malmer Stenergard. The picture, which is becoming increasingly clear, is that the government completely lacks a foreign policy direction. One refers all the time to international law and international law. But when it comes down to it, one ignores the rulings of international courts. One does not live up to its international law obligations, and one lets economic interests take precedence over human rights.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! It is a very serious accusation that the government would not live up to the commitments we have according to decisions from international courts. I wish that Jacob Risberg had one more contribution so that he could lay out the words about what it is about, because I do not know about it at all.
But to return to the question: When it comes to the export of war materiel, in every case it is assessed whether there are defense or security policy reasons, closely linked to Swedish defense capability, to grant permission to carry it out. It is therefore ISP that makes a comprehensive overall assessment in every individual case. The permit review also takes place in accordance with the EU's common position on establishing rules for the control of exports of military technology and war materiel as well as the UN Arms Trade Treaty. All recipients must provide an end-user certificate for all materiel from Sweden.
The cooperation with the United Arab Emirates regarding the radar surveillance aircraft Global Eye contributes to strengthening Sweden's defense capability, not least our air defense, which is completely crucial today – we see that every day in different parts of the world. Global Eye is therefore a radar surveillance aircraft that does not carry any weaponry. It is very unlikely that that type of radar system would end up in the wrong hands in Sudan.
Let me once again underline that there is no information that Swedish war materiel would be used in Sudan. It is important.
The discussion will continue. I would like to thank you for tonight's debate.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.