BAE REFUSES TO SNUB DAVOS IN THE DESERT

BAE Systems staff will attend this week’s controversial ‘Davos in the desert’ in Saudi Arabia despite growing pressure over the alleged statesponsored murder of a journalist.

The bosses of companies including HSBC, Uber, Credit Suisse and the London Stock Exchange have all withdrawn from the Future Investment Initiative – a two-day event which kicks off tomorrow.

But BAE has stuck to its guns and still plans to send senior staff who are already based in Saudi Arabia to the conference.

Washington Post columnist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi, 59, disappeared on October 2 after entering Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, where Turkish authorities claim to have evidence the dissident journalist was murdered.

Saudi Arabia is one of BAE’s most important customers and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered a further 48 typhoon fighter jets (pictured) from BAE in March.

The deal could be worth £10bn and would secure thousands of jobs in the UK. A BAE Systems spokesman said: ‘We expect to have senior representation at the event.’