The Defence Secretary has announced a further £23.8 million
investment in the UK logistics hub at Duqm port, as part of a
visit to Oman and Qatar to discuss shared security challenges and
future collaboration.
The investment in the Omani port will triple the size of the
existing UK base and help facilitate Royal Navy deployments to
the Indian Ocean. It also has a dry dock facility which could
support the UK’s two aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and
HMS Prince of Wales.
The port was used in 2018 for Exercise Saif Sareea 3 and the
expansion will further support British Army training in Oman.
On the Qatar leg of the visit the Defence Secretary offered
support to the Football World Cup in 2022, with the UK ready to
provide advice and guidance needed to deliver a safe and
successful event.
Defence Secretary said:
“The long standing friendships between the UK and the Gulf states
are more important than ever. With shared defence and security
interests, it is vital we work together for both regional and
global stability. Our trade links are just as
strong, too - from cotton to aerospace.
“Whether tackling Daesh, or making our streets in the UK safer
thanks to our intelligence networks, these are hugely valuable
relationships that I am pleased to be able to renew this week.”
The UK and many of the Gulf states work closely together on
counter-terrorism, sharing information and resources to tackle
violent extremism. Oman and Qatar and are all members of the
Global Coalition against Daesh alongside the UK, where they work
together to combat the violent ideology and network of terrorist
fighters.
The Defence Secretary was able to see this first-hand when he
visited the Combined Air Operations Centre in Qatar where strikes
are coordinated from as part of Operation Shader, the name for
the UK’s military contribution to the Global Coalition.
The importance of the Gulf region to global security was also
demonstrated last year when the Royal Navy helped to protect
freedom of navigation by escorting cargo vessels through the
Straits of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel for international
trading.
The details of two strikes by RAF Reaper unmanned aircraft
against Daesh have also been released today by the Ministry of
Defence that were co-ordinated by the RAF’s No.83 Expeditionary
Air Group in Al Udeid, Qatar.
