Saudis will ‘not be able to fly their own planes soon’ due to German arms exports ban

Germany’s ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia over its role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is “bigger than expected,” according to a report by the Washington Post.

The ban enforced by the Merkel government last year following the brutal consulate murder is said to be disrupting European arms exports to the oppressive Arab kingdom, since many of the parts that go into the making of military equipment across the EU are manufactured by German companies.

“It has been driving us crazy at Airbus for years that when there is even just a tiny German part involved in, for example, helicopters, the German side gives itself the right to, for example, block the sale of a French helicopter," Airbus Chief Executive Thomas Enders told Reuters last week.

Meanwhile, an unnamed official quoted by the Financial Times warned that “We’ll soon get to the point where the Saudis can’t fly their planes anymore.”

Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a group of Saudi operatives shortly after he entered the Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on Oct. 2, last year.

Riyadh offered various, conflicting narratives to explain his disappearance before acknowledging he was murdered in the diplomatic building, seeking to blame his death on a botched rendition operation being carried out by rogue agents.

Last year, Germany announced that it halted all arms exports to Saudi Arabia in a move to increase pressure on Riyadh to conduct a full investigation into the murder of Khashoggi.

Berlin informed companies, who had already received export licenses, that currently no arms exports to Saudi Arabia would be allowed.

Germany has called on its EU partners to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia amid doubts over Riyadh’s explanation on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.