During a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Secretary of State for Defence the Rt Hon Ben Wallace signed a new agreement to explore how both nations can position a decades long combat air relationship for the future.
The Defence Secretary held a number of bilaterial meetings, including with HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with others in the Saudi government.
It was an opportunity to reflect on the strength and depth of the UK-Saudi partnership, including following the signing of the Defence Cooperation Plan in December 2022. The Defence Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to work with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with discussion on how to enhance the relationship further in support of regional stability and security.
“It was a pleasure to meet with HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and build on the long history of UK-Saudi defence collaboration,” said Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary. “The Statement of Intent signed today will strengthen our Saudi-UK combat air relationship and our ability to address shared security challenges for decades to come, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 aspirations.”
The Defence Ministers signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) during the visit, which will initiate a Partnering Feasibility Study to explore how to best position a decades long combat air relationship for the future. Both governments confirmed a common desire for closer industrial collaboration, to develop key capabilities and boost prosperity in both nations.
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