Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UK has warned of the “potentially serious repercussions” of a breakdown in relations between the two countries.
Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, ambassador to the UK complained of a lack of “mutual respect” after a deal to train prison staff in the Gulf state was cancelled.
In an unusual condemnation, the diplomat denounced leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn, accusing him of breaching respect by scuppering the trade deal with Riyadh.
The furious prince also railed against an “alarming change in the way Saudi Arabia is discussed in Britain”, warning that the wealthy kingdom would not be “lectured to” and urged respect for its strict system of Sharia law.
He said: “One recent example of this mutual respect being breached was when Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Opposition, claimed that he had convinced Prime Minister David Cameron to cancel a prison consultancy contract with Saudi Arabia worth £5.9 million.”
“This coincided with speculation linking the contract’s cancellation to a number of domestic events in the Kingdom.
He warned: “If the extensive trade links between the two countries are going to be subordinate to certain political ideologies, then this vital commercial exchange is going to be at risk.
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