Pair of former defence ministers turned weapons lobbyists join Australian trade mission to Middle East

Two former defence ministers turned weapons lobbyists will join an official Australian trade delegation to the Middle East this weekend for meetings with senior government figures in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Nightly can reveal Liberal Party veteran Christopher Pyne, who retired as defence minister in 2019, and Joel Fitzgibbon, who served in the same portfolio during the Rudd Labor government, are accompanying Trade Minister Don Farrell on the trip.

Mr Pyne, who runs a successful lobbying firm that includes clients from the defence sector, is also co-chairman of the Australia-UAE business council and will push further opportunities following the implementation of a trade deal last year.

His counterpart Mr Fitzgibbon, who joined a Canberra-based lobbying firm with close defence links in 2022, will head the business delegation for the latest official Australia-Saudi trade talks.

“We are a trading nation with the broadest network of trade agreements we’ve ever had, but we can, and we should, do more,” Senator Farrell said ahead of the first Australian Trade Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia since 2017.

“My job as Australia’s Trade Minister is to seek out and open up new trade and investment opportunities for Australian businesses, exporters, producers and farmers to grow and diversify.

“When our exporters do well, so does our economy.”

During meetings in Saudi Arabia, where Defence Minister Richard Marles also visited in 2024, the delegation will promote Australia as a premier destination for investment across agriculture, education, renewable energy and mining.

“Saudi Sovereign Wealth Funds have some of the largest pools of capital in the world. Saudi investment into Australia is set to increase with nearly $9 billion worth of investment earmarked for major projects across Australia,” Senator Farrell said.

Following the visit to Saudi Arabia, Senator Farrell will lead a delegation of top Australian exporters to the UAE to showcase premium local goods at Gulfood, the world’s largest annual food and beverage trade exhibition.

In a statement before departing for the Middle East, Mr Pyne praised the recent trade agreement with the UAE, saying it will “supercharge the economic relationship, creating enormous opportunities for Australian businesses in this key market”.

“The UAE is already Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East, with over $12.8 billion in two-way goods and services trade in 2024-2025. Increasing two-way investment will be key to taking this relationship to the next level.”

Mr Fitzgibbon argued it was of “vital strategic importance for Australia to strengthen the relationship with Saudi Arabia”.

“Saudi Arabia is the Middle East’s largest economy offering huge opportunities for investment into Australia,” the former Labor frontbencher said in a statement.

In recent years human rights groups have expressed alarm over Australia’s growing military exports to both Middle East nations, which are accused of committing war crimes in various conflicts.

The UAE is by far Australia’s biggest weapons market, with nearly $300 million in arms and ammunition being shipped there over the past five years.

Numerous former ADF personnel now serve in the country’s military.

Over recent years, Australia has also sold weapons to the Saudi government, which has been linked to allegations of human rights atrocities in neighbouring Yemen.