A former UK Middle East minister has been accused of breaching transparency rules over a paid advisory role with an influential Bahraini centre that has links to the Gulf state’s government.
The Conservative peer Tariq Ahmad, who denies wrongdoing, was cleared by a watchdog to take up his role as a paid adviser to the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence (KHC).
The centre is supervised by Bahrain’s ministry of foreign affairs, but the UK’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) said Lord Ahmad was free to undertake the role – for which the salary has not been disclosed – because he said he “did not have official dealings/contact with the KHC during [his] time in office.”
Documents unearthed by human rights activists appear to show that Ahmad, who served between 2017 and 2025, had official contact with the centre while in office, visiting it at least twice and holding meetings on official trips in 2022 and 2023.
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) said that Acoba should now review its advice and it has submitted a formal complaint. It also criticised the former minister, who also held the human rights brief, for taking up the role with such a close association to a repressive government.
According to the most recent reports from Human Rights Watch, the Bahraini government has in effect silenced political opposition, banned independent media and subjected internal opponents to brutal treatment including torture.
In a letter to Ahmad from April, Acoba advised that the risk in Ahmad taking up the role was low. It said: “You said that you had no involvement in policy development, contractual and/or commercial decisions specific to the KHC. You also said that you did not have official dealings/ contact with the KHC during your time in office.
“You did not have any involvement in decisions specific to the KHC during your time in office. The committee therefore considered the risk this appointment could reasonably be perceived as a reward for decisions made, or actions taken in office, is low.”
However, in the complaint submitted to Acoba and seen by the Guardian, Ahmad was photographed at the centre in February 2022 alongside the British ambassador, in his role as the prime minister’s special envoy for preventing sexual violence.
Two days later, the Bahraini news agency filed a report saying that Ahmad “praises the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence’s programmes in combating hate speech and extremism” and was pictured receiving a trophy box from the deputy chair of the centre.
Documents released under a Freedom of Information request confirm that the KHC was on Ahmad’s itinerary for an official government visit.
In February 2023, Bahraini media reported Ahmad meeting Betsy Mathieson, the vice-chair of the KHC, where he is quoted as saying: “Our cooperation with the Kingdom of Bahrain and the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence will continue in every possible area.”
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Bird’s advocacy director, who filed the complaint, said: “It is impossible to conclude that the risk of benefiting from his former role is low, given that he concealed his involvement with the centre while occupying a ministerial position. This decision must be urgently reviewed in light of the ample evidence of those contacts.”
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Alwadaei said it was “morally indefensible” to accept the role. “Lord Ahmad must now step aside from this role and explain how he failed to declare his official visits to the centre, given the high-profile meetings he held with senior officials at the centre that dominated Bahrain’s headlines less than two years ago,” he said.
In a statement, Ahmad said: “I have acted in accordance with the requirements and processes of the Acoba process, and my appointment as is declared in my register of interests.”
Bird also called for Ahmad to disclose who paid for two further visits to Bahrain in January and May this year – saying it should be revealed under House of Lords rules if it was paid by the Bahraini government. Ahmad did not respond to the request by the Guardian to disclose this.
It is understood Ahmad believes the Acoba process was thorough and that the Foreign Office was fully consulted about his role. He is also understood to have met Bird during his time as Middle East minister.
An Acoba spokesperson said: “Acoba does not endorse any role; its function is to provide independent advice under the government’s business appointment rules to protect the integrity of government. The committee seeks information from the applicant and a former minister’s department before formulating its advice. Acoba publishes its advice letters – including the information provided and consideration – on its website when a role is taken up. If there are allegations of non-compliance with the government’s rules or Acoba’s advice, these will be investigated. Findings of any breaches are published online and reported to government.”