Saudi Arabia - The drill saw the participation of 24 friendly Gulf, Arab and Muslim countries.
Published: Mon 16 Apr 2018, 12:00 AM
Updated: Tue 17 Apr 2018, 8:27 AM
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, attended a Joint Gulf Shield I drill, in the presence of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, was also present, along with a number of leaders from the Arab world.
Joint Gulf Shield I, the region's largest scale military drill, concluded on Monday. The drill saw the participation of 24 friendly Gulf, Arab and Muslim countries.
The seven-day military manoeuvres included live ammunition, clearing a chemical attack facility, striking air force missile pads, naval vessel operations, coastal defence, clearing villages etc.
Led by Saudi Arabia, the exercise aimed to showcase the participating countries' capabilities of planning and executing military actions and operating modern weapon systems.
Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, and Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director-General of Dubai Protocol and Hospitality Department, also attended the military exercises along with several military officials.