The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, the Secretary of State for Defence, visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the 28th of February to the 2nd of March. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen bilateral relationships between the two countries.
During his stay, the Defence Secretary held several bilateral meetings, including with HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and other high-ranking officials in the Saudi government.
Reflecting on the strength and depth of the UK-Saudi partnership, the visit was an opportunity to discuss and enhance the bilateral relationship in support of regional stability and security.
Discussions also focused on the signing of the Defence Cooperation Plan in December 2022, which solidified the commitment to work together towards shared security goals.
The Defence Secretary expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for the recent commitment of $410 million in aid to Ukraine, which was announced during Foreign Minister HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud’s visit to Kyiv over the weekend. The commitment of aid demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s commitment to global security and its support for international partners.
During the visit, the Defence Ministers signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) to strengthen the Saudi-UK combat air relationship and address shared security challenges.
The SOI will initiate a Partnering Feasibility Study to explore how both countries can better position their decades-long combat air relationship for the future.
The two governments also confirmed their common desire for closer industrial collaboration to develop key capabilities and boost prosperity in both nations, in support of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.
In conclusion, the visit of the Defence Secretary to Saudi Arabia strengthened the existing partnership between the two countries. The signing of the Statement of Intent and discussions on closer industrial collaboration serve to boost regional stability and security.
The commitment of Saudi Arabia to global security is evident in its aid to Ukraine, demonstrating the Kingdom’s support for international partners.
»UK and Saudi Arabia strengthen bilateral relationships«
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