PM, army chief in Saudi Arabia to witness joint drills closing

DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has arrived here to witness the closing ceremony of the 24-country joint military exercise.

Accompanied by Minister for Defence Khurram Dastgir Khan and Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the premier landed at the King Abdulaziz Air Force Base at Al Khobar, where Governor Dammam Prince Saud bin Nayef received them.

Pakistan’s ambassador Khan Hasham bin Saddique and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf al-Maliki were also present.

The premier arrived in the kingdom on a two-day trip on the special invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The month-long exercise Gulf Shield-1 aimed at strengthening military and security cooperation and coordination among the regional countries concludes today.

Troops from the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft, JF-17 Thunder Fighter jets, Pakistan Navy ships, and commandos from Special Services Group are participating in the exercise.

The exercise is described as the largest military drill in the region in terms of diversity of troops, weapon systems and operational maneuvering.