Middle East Monitor – Saudi Arabia is hosting a joint air exercise with several Arab states at the Prince Sultan Air Base, according to an announcement yesterday by the Ministry of Defence.
The two-week exercise named Tuwaiq 2 launched in the central governorate of Al-Kharj “aims to ensure the highest levels of readiness, and achieve operation compatibility and integration”, the ministry stated.
Among the countries participating are the UAE, Oman, Jordan, and Egypt, while Kuwait and Bahrain are taking part as observers.
The commander of the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Ibrahim Bin Sufyan, said that the air drills will be carried out in different stages, including planning and implementing flights. “The exercise aims to raise the operational and training readiness for tactical airdrops and raise the spirit of competition among the participants,” he added.
The Saudi Air Force concluded a similar drill on Thursday with Greece’s Hellenic Air Force at the King Faisal Air Base in Tabuk. The two-week exercises, called Falcon Eye 2, are part of an ongoing strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries, particularly by way of military cooperation as both countries have shared concerns over Turkey’s foreign policy.
