Today, the delegation, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Jobs Minister Richard Bruton makes its way to the United Arab Emirates where Irish companies are signing deals worth over 26 million euro.

However questions have been raised by Amnesty International and opposition politicians about the ethics of doing business with these countries.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Minister Richard Bruton stated he was not going to apologise for not quizzing these countries' representatives on human rights issues.

In Saudi Arabia, women are forbidden to obtain a driving licence while in most Middle Eastern countries homosexuality is outlawed.