http://www.arabnews.com/node/1005166/saudi-arabia
Published — Tuesday 1 November 2016
JEDDAH: “North Spear” military exercises began Sunday in the northwestern region of Saudi Arabia in parallel with the Bahrain-hosted first Gulf joint exercises titled Arab Gulf Security-1.
Participating in the North Spear exercises are units from the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the special forces of Malaysia and the United States and the Saudi Special Forces. The drill will continue until Nov. 14.
The opening ceremony was attended by the commander of the northwestern region, Maj. Gen. Zafer Ali Al-Shehri, and a number of US and Malaysian officers. The drill’s commander, Brig. Gen. Ali bin Sayer Al-Anzi, welcomed participants of the armed forces and pointed out the competence of the Saudi paratroopers and the special units at the Royal Saudi Land Forces and their efficiency in working in different environments such as mountains, deserts, coastal and urban areas.
He explained that the aim of the drill is to exchange experiences with friends and unify the concepts and measures in case of any threats to the national security.
Both the Malaysian and American sides have expressed their deep appreciation to the Saudi armed forces for hosting the drill and providing all capabilities to make it a success.
Meanwhile, Bahrain continues to host the Arab Gulf Security-1 exercises. The commander of the Saudi security forces taking part in this drill, Brig. Shayie bin Salem Al-Wad’ani, said that Saudi Arabia is keen to lead and participate in the security exercise as it is important to coordinate and integrate Gulf security forces to be able to better respond to different security situations, and managing operations and confronting terrorist plots targeting the security and stability of the GCC member states.
Videos were shared showing Saudi anti-terror security forces and others specializing in protecting land and sea borders, as well as the high levels of readiness reflected in the drill.