Sudan, Saudi Arabia start joint naval drills

March 20, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Saudi Arabia and Sudan kicked off on Sunday biannual joint naval exercises dubbed “Falak 4”.

The Sudanese Naval Forces units participating in the maritime drills arrived at King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah Governorate on Friday.

In a statement issued by the Sudanese military media, the commander of the participating Sudanese naval forces, Brigadier General Alaa al-Din Abdallah, stated that the exercise is a good opportunity for the exchange of experiences and training on joint work.

For his part, the commander of the exercise from the Saudi side, Brigadier General Hazza Al-Mutairi, stated that the Falak 4 exercises aim to unify concepts and exchange experiences between the two armies to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea.

The Marines, Special Maritime Security Units, Naval Aviation Group, Support Vessels Group, and a group of boats of the Western Fleet participate in these maritime exercises.

This joint exercise will last for six days until next Thursday.

The Saudi Navy and its Sudanese counterpart conducted the first joint exercise in 2013 entitled “the Falak 1” in Port Sudan.

Saudi Arabia recently announced its desire to develop bilateral cooperation with Sudan on the Red Sea, expressing fear that growing international presence in the Red Sea basin represents a direct threat to its national security.

(ST)