Richard Branson on dealing with the Saudis.
Sir Richard Branson has pulled out of talks over a $1bn deal with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) after the disappearance of a leading journalist who has been critical of the kingdom.
Sir Richard said Virgin would halt discussions over investments in Saudi space projects amid fears that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered.
The British entrepreneur is also suspending his directorship of two tourism projects in Saudi Arabia.
All fair enough. However, why enter into any dealings with these barbarians in the first place. After all, we know what we are dealing with, don’t we?
On Friday Sir Richard warned that, if reports that the Saudi government ordered Mr Khashoggi’s murder are confirmed, the West may not be able to continue doing business with the Gulf kingdom.
His statement said: “What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi Government.”
Branson does not speak for anyone other than himself. However, I’d like to think that western businesses, governments and individuals would follow his lead on this one. The Saudi regime is backwards, medieval, barbaric (not to mention actively funding the expanse of its vile Wahhabi version of Islam across the globe) and not one we should be dealing with. So, yes, finally some strong words. Hopefully they will be followed up with strong action. But I’m not holding my breath.
But I’m not holding my breath.
As Granny would have said, one hopes Branson is saving his breath for blowing…up his balloon.
Although the amount of hot air that man comes out with , he probably has more than enough to inflate a whole drift/festival/circus (choose collective noun of choice) of balloons with some to spare. But fair dues-this time he is right.
If it wasn’t for its oil, nobody would give this evil, backward shithole of a country a second thought. The civilised world should have told the brutal bastards to go to hell in a hand basket a long time ago. We should have the balls to totally boycott its oil production.
Yup. Agreed. When supping with this devil there isn’t a long enough spoon.
Remember that Branson was publicly on the pro-EU side during the EU referendum. If that helps.
Even stopped clocks are right twice a day. 🙂
imho msm supporting hype because he’s a pro RoP Sharia “journalist”, not much support for anti-RoP “journalist” Tommy
Saudia hater Moslem Brotherhood supporter walks into Saudia Embassy in Turkey. Turkey & Saudia argue.
RoW MYOB. Step back and ignore.
What’s wrong with “Oh, Tommy, Tommy! Tommy Tommy Tommy Robinson!”?
This case isn’t the issue. It merely highlights the evil nature of the regime. A regime any right minded person would shun.
I hope not.
1. No proof of Turkey’s allegations
2. Turkish regime is as bad or worse. A crashing economy looking for support?
Nothing to do with us if Saudi exiled hate & coup preacher allegedly voluntarily walks into Saudi Embassy
If we’re lucky the >1,000 year war between Shia, Sunni, Wahhabi etc RoPs will soon wipe them all out.
I doubt we’d be that lucky, but there’s always hope…
Apparently there are too many people on the earth. If you were going to cull a quarter of the world’s population, where would you start?
The strong action I refer to is to cut off the Saudis and shun them completely. We should not be doing business with such a barbaric regime that is actively exporting terror throughout the world.
@LR
Do we (UK) cut off and shun for example Turkey, UAE, China, Thailand, Cuba, India et al too?
They are also “barbaric”.
“Intervene” – No. Nothing to do with us anymore. We have done and made things worse.
What you advocate is colonialist gun-boat diplomacy. Iraq, Libya & Afghanistan should be enough to demonstrate why we should MYOB.
Allow other sovereign countries to progress to C21 (or C19/20) eventually without outside do-gooder meddling.
No it isn’t. We simply don’t sell the fuckers weapons and we don’t invite them here for state visits where our politicians brown nose them. We cannot change what they are, nor should we intervene. But neither should we actively enable them. That is the exact opposite of meddling.
A few years ago I was approached to work in Saudi. I flatly refused. I will never have anything to do with them. Gunboat diplomacy? Colonialism? Or simply the application of a code of ethics?
Hmm, does UK Gov’t have one? May’s treachery suggests not.
Saudi attack: Pot & Kettle – David Kelly, TR
It’s time they did.
Cut off our noses…
We’re not a monopoly supplier. China, France, India, Russia, USA et al will sell to them
Let them.
Some latent socialism there: virtue signalling more important than UK prosperity.
How does that fit with your desire for DFID, EHRC, PHE etc to be abolished?
imho allow firms to sell all what they want (minus superiority secrets/tech) if there are alternative suppliers*.
USA/IBM tried to restrict mainframe sales for similar reasons, Hitachi et al filled the gap and USA/IBM suffered. I don’t want BAE, RR etc and UK to suffer to placate do-gooders.
* Unlike Labour who forced RR to “sell” jet engines to Russia/USSR.
It’s got nothing to do with socialism or virtue signalling. Nor does it have anything to do with forcing private companies in any way whatsoever. They may do as they please and have to live with the blood on their hands.
An ethical foreign policy involves not inviting these people here and not enabling them. It means the state not doing deals with them. It really is that simple.
On a personal level when faced with the option, I declined. I’m fussy about who I work for. Refusing to work for a bunch of murderous barbarians is not virtue signalling, it’s basic ethics.
Branson never misses an opportunity to publicise and promote Brand Branson to its benefit. If blinding adorable week old puppies was in vogue, Branson would be telling us how he is all for it.
Don’t listen to what he says, watch what he does. I expect ‘talks’ are merely delayed a while until the dust has settled and nobody is looking when it will business as usual.
Investment delayed until enough fivers are waved under his nose?
It’s easy for Branson to proclaim he is going to halt investment in Saudi Arabia but what exactly was he going to invest in that he is now pulling out of? I mean I was going to invest billions in the Kingdom too but I’m not going to either now.
And in Branson’s case, where his “brand” has recently taken a bit of a knock since it became clear he one one of the wealthy influencers funding anti-brexit campaigns up and down the country…
I think it’s just free self-promotion by the bearded one.
Or, to put it another way, was he going to be investing his money or just the Virgin’ (on the ridiculous) name?
Another example of Islam’s barbarism:
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/rita-panahi/australia-must-punish-pakistan-if-it-hangs-asia-bibi-writes-rita-panahi/news-story/fcc04fb662ad0c0fd59108503c65b4bb
The page is behind a paywall. However, I’m aware of the Asia Bibi case. Trumped up blasphemy charges and a death sentence. Another country we should have nothing to do with.