The UK is working to speed up financing and licensing for defence exports to Gulf partners as they face indiscriminate Iranian attacks, stepping up efforts to bolster regional security and military readiness.
The British Defence Ministry said it is streamlining export processes through its National Armaments Director (NAD) Group, including the creation of a new task force to co-ordinate support across government and industry. The initiative aims to accelerate the delivery of defensive equipment to Middle Eastern allies while also managing the impact of the crisis on the UK’s defence supply chain.
As part of this push, the UK convened a meeting of defence industry leaders and Gulf ambassadors and defence attaches to explore ways to expand support to countries facing drone and missile threats rapidly. The session, led by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard, brought together representatives from 13 UK-based defence firms with ambassadors and defence attaches from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Iraq and Jordan.
