JEDDAH: Extremism and terrorism have led to a “weakening of the social fabric” in Arab states, an Arab Parliament conference in Cairo has been warned. The Parliament’s speaker, Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami, told the high-level forum that political militancy and terrorist activity had paved the way for external interference in some states, particularly by neighboring countries.
“Some of these countries have been able to establish groups within Arab states that owe them allegiance ... and benefit from inter-Arab conflicts,” he said.
Al-Salami made his remarks while presiding over the “Achieving Peace and Stability” conference at the Arab League’s headquarters on Saturday.
The forum was attended by former and current Arab heads of government and ministers, including Saudi Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.
In his opening statement, Al-Salami praised Saudi Arabia for its “pivotal role in maintaining Arab security” and called for greater solidarity among Arab states to deal with external interference.
“This should be based on a thorough and comprehensive vision that strengthens the Arab states and protects their sanctities,” he said.
“By holding this conference, the Arab Parliament is acknowledging the great challenges facing our region today. This move is in line with our people’s will.”
Al-Salami urged Arab leaders to reject conflict, saying: “This will enable us to thwart (those) targeting us and our Arab national security.”
The conference promotes “Arab solidarity and cooperation, allowing Arab states to confront current and future challenges and threats,” he said.
Al-Salami welcomed the Kingdom’s support for the Yemeni people and the establishment of the Arab coalition to support the legitimacy of Yemen.
The coalition will “restore the institutions of the Yemeni state, which were seized by the Iranian Houthi group by force,” Al-Salami said.
He also praised King Salman’s efforts to achieve peace and historic reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea and between Djibouti and Eritrea to improve security in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa.
Al-Salami highlighted the Kingdom’s Neom project, launched with Egypt and Jordan, as an example of Arab economic integration that will also strengthen national security.
Extremism ‘weakening Arab states,’ Arab Parliament forum told
Extremism ‘weakening Arab states,’ Arab Parliament forum told
- The coalition will “restore the institutions of the Yemeni state, which were seized by the Iranian Houthi group by force,” Al-Salami said
- Arab leaders urged to ‘reject conflict, seek solidarity’
Airbus seeks to strengthen Saudi defense ties
MALHAM: Airbus is aiming to deepen its strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia, a “core customer” in the region, according to Head of Air Power, Airbus Defense and Space Jean-Brice Dumont.
“Saudi Arabia is one of our customers in the region that we have a very strong link with,” Dumont told Arab News on the sidelines of the World Defense Show in Riyadh.
“We have a very strong link with decades of history of Airbus in the country, be it for helicopters, but in my case for military aircraft.
He said the Kingdom was “sort of a hometown for us for these flying platforms and for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of these platforms.”
Airbus has a longstanding partnership with Saudi Arabia in both commercial and defense aircraft that dates back nearly 50 years.
“We have already invested quite significantly in the region,” Dumont said. “Notably, we have a JV (joint venture) with SAMI (Saudi Arabia Military Industries) in Saudi Arabia and that, I believe is the beginning of a longer journey. But so far, when we see what’s happening in the region, it’s already quite good.”
In 2021 SAMI, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund and the National Champion of Military Industries Localization, and Airbus signed an agreement to form a joint venture on military aviation services and maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities.
During the interview Dumont also looked ahead, detailing the strategic roadmap for 2026–2030 that moves beyond traditional hardware toward a digitally-dominant battlefield.
“I think we are reaching the end or the limits of the ‘fighter goes alone’ kind of model,” he said. “Now, the fighters need to communicate, to command drones, to be themselves receiving information by a mass, high-throughput data link so that they can play their role — their new role — in the battlefield.”
He also spoke about how the A330 aircraft was moving beyond its basic reputation as a “flying gas station” to become a high-tech “command center” in the sky.
“The A330 can be first much more automated. The air-to-air refueling can be automatic, and we have developed that capability,” he explained.
“On the other hand, it’s a big platform flying high, which can act as a command-and-control node in the system of systems that the air forces are all aspiring to.”
On the Eurofighter, he said it was “a bit symmetrical,” while speaking about the “buzz” around artificial intelligence he said that while neural networks have been embedded in Airbus platforms for nearly 20 years, the next decade would see AI move to the forefront of decision-making.
From mission preparation to real-time command, he said, the goal is to process vast amounts of data to act faster than the adversary.
“The one who gets that right has won,” he said.
