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Boom time for British arms exports to Saudi Arabia

UK arms export licences average $11 million per day in 2015

Yemeni men survey damage caused by a fallen shell in their northern Sana'a neighborhood on September 21, 2014. Shia Muslim Houthi rebels took control of Sana'a after a week of fighting government and opposition forces. IRIN

UK arms exporters were granted licences for military exports to Saudi Arabia worth £2.8 billion.

Updated 26 April 2016 - the final quarter of 2015 showed a steep drop in export licences granted. This makes the daily average £7.7 million (US $11.2m). 

Britain is exporting an average of $11 million of weapons to Saudi Arabia every day.

The scale of humanitarian needs in Yemen is overwhelming. The UK is a significant donor to Yemen but its humanitarian spending is dwarfed by its companies' arms sales.

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