The European Union (EU) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) held their fourth Human Rights Dialogue in Riyadh on 17 December, in a collaborative, frank, and open atmosphere. 

The Dialogue covered a wide range of human rights issues such as : women’s rights and vulnerable groups, rule of law, the right to a fair trial, capital punishment, freedoms of expression, assembly and association, human trafficking, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as bilateral EU-KSA cooperation and activities in multilateral human rights fora in particular in the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council - in view of the upcoming session of the Commission on the Status of Women, and in the context of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and engagements with Treaty Bodies and UN Special Procedures. 

The EU acknowledged progress made by KSA on empowerment of women and youth and the promotion of economic, social rights and labour rights; and expressed readiness to continue supporting KSA on its reform path.
The EU encouraged the KSA to intensify cooperation with ILO and other UN agencies in pursuing further comprehensive and inclusive labour reforms in line with international standards and extending all rights to all categories of migrant workers as the country prepares to host the Expo 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cup.

The EU reiterated  its firm opposition to the use of the death penalty at all times and under all circumstances, while expressing serious concerns about the rise in executions in KSA in 2024, including for non-lethal and drug-related crimes. The EU also stressed the importance of upholding the right to a fair trial and due process guarantees. The EU encouraged the KSA to ensure that all existing and new legislation, including the Penal Code, comply with international human rights standards and underlined the importance of close cooperation with the United Nations system and independent civil society.

The EU and KSA also discussed the need to uphold freedom of expression, online and offline, both in Europe and in the KSA. In this regard, the EU expressed concerns regarding the restrictive environment for civil and political rights in the country and referred to long prison sentences imposed for activity on social media. The EU also raised a number of individual cases of concern. 

The two sides exchanged on trafficking in human beings, touching upon aspects of migration and asylum policy in the EU and KSA. 

The EU acknowledged the readiness of KSA to exchange on all issues of concern, intensify work in between annual Human Rights Dialogues, and further enhance cooperation at multilateral human rights fora and share experience and expertise on areas such as new digital technologies and business and human rights. 

The meeting was co-chaired by the President of the Human Rights Commission, Dr. Hala al-Tuwaijiri, and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Mr. Olof Skoog. 

The co-chairs agreed to convene the next Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels in 2025.