The Ministry of National Defense said on the 22nd that Minister Ahn Gyu-baek met with Abdullah bin Bandar, Minister of the Saudi National Guard, in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on the 21st (local time) and discussed ways to cooperate in defense and the defense industry.
Minister Ahn said, "I find it meaningful to visit Saudi Arabia as the first country in the Middle East since taking office," and added, "Korea, as a key partner in 'Saudi Vision 2030,' highly values that cooperation in defense and the defense industry continues to increase." Minister Abdullah of the National Guard said, "We welcome Minister Ahn's visit, and we hope this meeting will further advance relations between the two countries."
Minister Ahn and Minister Abdullah agreed to meet again at an early date to review defense and defense industry cooperation projects, including personnel exchanges and military education that have been underway. Saudi Arabia operates the Ministry of the National Guard as an organization separate from the Ministry of National Defense to protect the royal family and Islamic holy sites and to guard oil fields. The National Guard has about 130,000 troops, or roughly 50% of Saudi Arabia's total forces.
As part of "Saudi Vision 2030," Saudi Arabia is pursuing a policy to localize more than 50% of its defense industry, which had depended on imports. At the same time, it is carrying out a National Guard ground equipment modernization project.
Korean defense companies view Saudi Arabia's force enhancement projects as an opportunity to expand exports and have recently been actively seeking to participate, including by establishing local subsidiaries in Saudi Arabia.