Saudi Arabia hosts multi-nation military drills
Saudi Arabia concluded a month-long military exercise involving more than two dozen nations.
RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia concluded a month-long military exercise involving more than two dozen nations on Monday, a day after hosting an Arab summit that slammed what it called Iran s growing interference in the region.
The exercise on Saudi Arabia s east coast, dubbed Gulf Shield-1, involved combat search-and-rescue drills as well as naval warfare and air operations, officials said.
Saudi King Salman presided over the closing ceremony of the drills, which he said highlighted a "unified alliance" between over 24 countries to combat military threats.
"The event is... meant to demonstrate our ability to take joint military action, the region s readiness to support Arab unity and its capacity to deter any threats," military spokesman Abdullah Subaei was quoted as saying in a Saudi information ministry statement.
"This exercise demonstrates that we have the cooperation of friendly nations, our experience and expertise to deal with those threats."
On Sunday, King Salman slammed Iran s "blatant interference" in the region as Arab leaders met in the kingdom for their annual summit.
Riyadh and Shiite rival Tehran back opposing sides in a range of hotspots across the mainly Sunni Muslim Middle East, including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia s southern neighbour, Yemen.
Saudi Arabia in March 2015 launched a coalition of Arab states fighting to roll back Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen and restore the country s internationally-recognised government to power.
Last November, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presided over the first meeting of an Islamic counter-terrorism alliance involving around 40 Muslim countries, as he vowed to "pursue terrorists".
