LONDON: Saudi Arabia expects to sign agreements with Britain covering a range of issues during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to London this week, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Monday.
Britain’s planned exit from the European Union did not reduce its attractiveness as an investment destination, the minister told reporters, and he said he expected the crown prince’s visit to take bilateral relations to a higher level.
“Our relationship is so strong that the talks will be broad and wide ranging. There will be agreements and memorandums of understanding signed in a number of areas involving a broad range of issues,” he said during a media briefing at the Saudi embassy.
Al-Jubeir provided no further details on the agreements nor on the precise agenda for the crown prince’s visit. He declined to comment on any progress in plans to list giant oil firm Saudi Aramco and whether that might happen in London or New York.
Asked whether Britain’s departure from the EU, scheduled for March 2019, would affect Riyadh’s view of how attractive Britain is as an investment destination, Al-Jubeir said: “We don’t think so. We think that Britain is one of the great powers.
“British ingenuity and British technology and British know-how is not going to change whether you’re part of the EU or not part of the EU.”
Saudi foreign minister sees deals with UK during crown prince’s visit
Saudi foreign minister sees deals with UK during crown prince’s visit
Spears of Victory 2026 military exercise begins at eastern province Air Warfare Center
- Spears of Victory 2026, one of the largest air exercises in the region, aims to enhance military partnerships
- Exercise includes a series of advanced training activities, such as joint and combined tactical operations
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense announced the start of the “Spears of Victory 2026” military exercise at the Air Warfare Center in the Eastern Region, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The exercise is being conducted with the participation of branches of the Saudi Armed Forces, including land, air, naval and air defense forces, in addition to the Ministry of the National Guard, the Presidency of State Security, the Unified Military Command of the Gulf Cooperation Council and military forces from 15 allied and partner countries.
Spears of Victory 2026, one of the largest air exercises in the region, aims to enhance military partnerships, strengthen the exchange of expertise in planning and execution, raise combat readiness and achieve advanced levels of operational coordination and integration among participating forces.
The exercise includes a series of advanced training activities, such as joint and combined tactical operations, specialized academic lectures and operational missions designed to improve the performance of aircrews, technical and support personnel.
It also evaluates modern military tactics, including electronic and cyber warfare, within a multidimensional operational environment that simulates real operational conditions.
Forces participating in the exercise include those from Bahrain, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye, the UK and the US.
Spears of Victory 2026 is being conducted at the Air Warfare Center, one of the most advanced training facilities in the region, supporting the development of combat plans, the assessment of capabilities and the testing and evaluation of systems and weapons.
