No record of Varadkar raising human rights concerns with Saudi officials during visit

Tánaiste led Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Saudi Arabia and pledged to “deepen ties” with the state, which executed 81 men last week

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar led a five-day Enterprise Ireland trade mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia last November during which there is no record of him raising the issue of Saudi Arabia’s dismal human rights record

Leo Varadkar invited a member of the Saudi Arabian government to visit Ireland during a trade mission to the country last year, and pledged to “deepen ties” with the Gulf state despite concerns over human rights abuses there, documents seen by the Business Post show.

The Tánaiste led a five-day Enterprise Ireland trade mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia in November 2021 with the aim of supporting the “accelerated export-led recovery ...