Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
365. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Transport if his Department had a role in sanctioning DAA International to sign a deal to manage Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia; if human rights standards in Saudi Arabia were considered in the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19900/22]
View answer368. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport his views on the Dublin Airport Authority winning a contract to operate another airport in Saudi Arabia in view of human rights issues in that country; and the oversight that State-owned companies investing overseas are subject to in relation to human rights issues. [18778/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 368 together.
daa International (daaI) recently won a major multi-million euro contract to lead and advise on operations of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
This is a significant contract for daaI, which they secured amid strong international competition that included several high-profile airport operators from Europe, Asia and Africa. daaI also worked with the Irish Embassy in Riyadh for local advice which informed their strategy.
The Government has a number of human rights concerns with regard to Saudi Arabia, including the use of the death penalty and freedom of expression. The Government has been very frank about raising these concerns and has done so both in bilateral discussions with the Saudi authorities, and in appropriate international fora such as the EU-Saudi Arabia Human rights dialogue which was recently established and met for the first time in 2021.
The Government believes that this will be a valuable forum for raising concerns around human rights, and pressing for progress.
