Saudi tells UK it 'won't be lectured to' on human rights

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Britain criticised Monday the breaching of "mutual respect" between the two countries, adding that the Gulf kingdom "will not be lectured to by anyone". The envoy's comments come after Britain this month cancelled a bid to provide training to Saudi Arabia's penal system, as criticism mounts over the country’s human rights record.

Saudi Ambassador Mohammed Bin Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz spoke of his country's economic importance to Britain, and of the value of Saudi cooperation on security matters. "We want this relationship to continue, but we will not be lectured to by anyone," Abdulaziz wrote in an opinion piece in Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "To further our shared strategic interests in the years ahead as we confront a variety of threats, it is crucial that Saudi Arabia be treated with the respect it has unwaveringly afforded the United Kingdom."

The ambassador's blunt and public criticism is unusual for Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has become more vocal in recent years with the intensification of conflicts in Syria and Yemen, and in response to the US nuclear deal with Iran.

Saudi Arabia is Britain's most important trade partner in the Middle East and was its biggest market for arms exports last year. Cameron also says Saudi Arabia is a key partner on security issues, and has claimed Saudi intelligence has helped saved British lives.